Duty of a Handmaiden
by Ayra Sei Ethari
Summary: A young woman of Naboo is hired to become Senator Amidala's bodyguard. She fits all the requirements – looks, intelligence, loyalty. But can she perform her duty when faced with a moral question that divides the entire galaxy? *originally Premonitions*
1. Prologue

**_Duty of a Handmaiden_**

_Summary:_ A young woman of Naboo is hired to become Senator Amidala's bodyguard. She fits all the requirements – looks, intelligence, loyalty. But can she perform her duty when faced with a moral question that divides the entire galaxy? (originally Premonitions of a Handmaiden)

_Rating:_ K+ for the most part, but T a little later on

_Genre:_ mystery ; friendship ; hurt/comfort ; angst (mostly emotional, but a bit physical) ; romance

_Canon Character(s):_ Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (38); Jedi Anakin Skywalker (22) ; Darth Sidious/Chancellor Palpatine ; Senator Padmé Amidala (27)

_OC Character(s):_ Anali Yané

_Set During:_ RotS

_Note:_ In this fic, my OC really isn't an OC; I kinda just took one of the real characters who really didn't do anything in TPM and sorta . . . made her my own. Just thought I should explain that. Her identity will be revealed as the story moves along. And, as mentioned in the summary, this story was originally called "Premonitions of a Handmaiden" and the one-shot from that is something that my friend posted (against my will, but nonetheless posted).

* * *

**_Prologue_**

"I'm concerned for Senator Amidala's safety."

A sigh. "She never takes anything seriously when it comes to her safety. To her, anything is worth it for helping her people."

"Still, she needs protection."

"What about the Jedi?"

"They are spread too thin to be of much help in this matter. Nor would Senator Amidala would appreciate having visible increased security when it is obvious that the citizens need the help of the Order more than she does."

"She has always been a stubborn one."

"Do you have any recommendations as to what can be done?"

"You really think she's in that much danger?"

"Yes."

"Then if this is your last recourse, I would suggest you hire a bounty hunter."

"A _bounty hunter_? They'd sooner slice off Senator Amidala's head and give it to Count Dooku and General Grievous than protect her! They are not in any way trustworthy. She would be too tempting a target for any of them to resist."

"Here's where you are wrong."

"How so? No bounty hunter would _ever_ consent to protect a Senator."

"I was not speaking of bounty hunters in general, Captain; I had a particular one in mind."

"Who?"

"She's called the Silent Shadow. Surely you have heard of her?"

"No."

"I didn't think so. She wouldn't do the kind of things that would get her into the Holonews. . . Bloody war takes up all the reports."

"Why? What does she do?"

"The Silent Shadow specializes in utilizing bounty hunter techniques to capture Separatist scum. You wouldn't have heard of her, though; although she's extremely successful, she prefers to remain anonymous. No one's ever seen her out of her armor, though."

"Then how do you know she's a she?"

"Because she used to be a handmaiden, that's why."

"A handmaiden? To who?"

"To Queen Amidala. During the Naboo blockade. But don't believe me. Go and find her yourself."

"What's her real name?"

"Rumor has it that her real name is Anali Yané."


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

**19 BBY**

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
The Force suddenly rippled with the dark side, and I tensed, my whole focus moving immediately from the conversation I was having with Senators Amidala and Organa to the source of the darkness.

My eyes flitted to my left to meet Anakin's. His eyes were hard and focused, as my own were, and I knew he had sensed exactly what I had.

" . . . Master Kenobi?"

I turned back to the Senators. "Excuse me, Senators. I need to discuss something with Jedi Skywalker."

"Yes, of course," Senator Organa said.

I moved swiftly to Anakin's side, but apparently not swiftly enough; my former apprentice was already speaking in a low tone when I stopped. It was low enough that no one around us could hear, thanks to the Force, but I could hear.

"Something's wrong," he said nervously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I sense it too," I murmured, scanning the surroundings.

The Grand Hall was heavily guarded by teams both in the air and on land, but the security forces of the Senate were never known for being the best around. If someone really, really wanted to get in, they probably could. What they would do from there would be quite another story.

Senate security teams might be hopeless . . . but not Jedi.

I put my hand surreptitiously on my lightsaber hilt. "You or me?"

"You."

I raised an eyebrow, startled. Usually Anakin preferred to be the one to go chasing after the opponent, not stay behind and play defender and back-up. This decision to become that so quickly was rather surprising, then. If there was one thing Anakin absolutely detested, it was missing out on the action, the chase, the adrenaline rush.

"What?" he asked.

I suppressed the urge to shake my head. "All right; but make sure you bring back-up. Don't leave me a sitting duck."

"Are you trying to tempt me?"

"Very funny, Anakin."

"What?"

With a sigh, we drifted apart; but slowly, casually. To any observer, it would look like we were moving away and mingling with the crowd again.

In reality, we were setting up a trap.

The Force swelled as Anakin and I both reached for it, allowing it to flow through us and guide our motions. For this trap to work, we had to move in perfect synchronization and without hesitation. Even a mere millisecond of delay would defeat the whole purpose of the trap. Thankfully, we had worked together for so long at even more complicated stuff that this wasn't too difficult to set up. Now, we just had to wait until –

My danger sense flared at the same time that the Force surged.

Cries filled the hall as blasterfire erupted, searing smoking holes in the floor and creating total chaos.

I saw the target at the same time Anakin did. A bounty hunter, dressed in dark clothing that made it next to impossible to pick out any other details against the dark cover of night. But I couldn't miss the weapon he had aimed at us.

As one, Anakin and I leaped straight up, using the Force to rise at exactly the same velocity from our different positions in the hall.

Confusion filled the bounty hunter – which one of us was a greater threat?

By the time he made his choice, it was too late.

Anakin whirled his lightsaber, deflecting the bolts, at the same time that I reached out with the Force and _pushed_. . .

The bounty hunter went flying, tumbling head over heels in the dark.

Instantly, I propelled myself after him, not even taking a moment to glance back. I knew Anakin could easily defend the Senators from attack, especially know that security teams were pouring in and hustling the Senators out. Medical teams would come shortly after, and any injuries would be treated. My job now was to find the bounty hunter.

Reaching out to the Force, I sped over the ground silently, keeping my breathing and my footsteps under tight control so that they gave no warning of where I was.

The bounty hunter was right in front of me, running quickly. He or she was fast; it was all I could do to keep the same distance between us. He or she had had a head start, but usually the Force allowed me overtake almost anyone if I wished.

Frowning, I reached out to the Force to touch the bounty hunter's mind. If I couldn't overtake him or her, maybe I could get their name or at least their general aura. . .

Instead, I slammed into a duracrete wall.

Whoever this person was, they had been trained how to defend their mind.

It made me wonder if Count Dooku had hired this bounty hunter to take out Senator Amidala. He would know what kind of mind training would be needed, and what to look for.

The bounty hunter leaped lightly over a ditch and then vanished. Frowning, I slowed to a stop and looked down. He or she was crouched behind a wall, warily watching something in front of him or her. Funnily enough, he or she seemed . . . skinnier . . . as if she or he had had time to shed some of the armor.

I didn't remember that, and I knew I would have had I seen it.

But I didn't have time to consider it; I had to stop the bounty hunter from getting away, and this was a prime opportunity.

I leaped down.

Midway down, the bounty hunter suddenly whirled around and a boot slammed into my stomach. Bright lights burst into my eyes as pain filled me. The kick was powerful enough to change the direction of my jump from forwards and down to simply backwards. So it was that moments later, I slammed into a wall with a grunt, startled and dazed.

However, I wasn't so dazed that I didn't feel the cold touch of a blaster against my neck.

I froze, immediately reaching for the Force.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded. It was young and female – not quite what I had expected from a bounty hunter.

My answer slipped out before I had even properly considered the wisdom of it. "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Instantly – and unexpectedly – the blaster was retracted and the person inhaled sharply, almost surprised by my answer. Then the person stepped back, and without thinking, I doubled over, pressing a hand to my throbbing ribcage and making sure none of them were broken. Thankfully, they weren't.

When I finally straightened up, for a moment I thought my eyes were deceiving me.

It was not a bounty hunter in dark armor that stood before me, eyes wide in surprise and the blaster pointing away.

It was a young woman.

She was young and slender but athletic and lithe. She had long dark brown hair that was braided and tucked into some dark-colored clothes made of protective armorweave. On her belt were various weapons and gear, ranging from the standard things like rations and back-up power cells to things I'd never seen before in my life. Sturdy knee-high boots similar to the ones I wore completed the outfit.

All in all, not quite the normal image of a bounty hunter. For one thing, they usually weren't human women.

And for another, usually they didn't let Jedi who were hunting them go.

"Who are you?" I asked, setting a hand on my lightsaber blade.

"Hunting a bounty hunter that tried to kill my mistress," she answered grimly.

"Your mistress?"

"You know her."

"I do?"

"Her name is Senator Amidala of Naboo, Master Kenobi."

"I was not aware that the Senator had hired any sort of . . . bodyguard," I said suspiciously, casting another glance at her outfit.

She shrugged. "It would not bring good publicity, now would it?" she pointed out. "Besides, I like to remain anonymous. It's much easier to catch your prey when they know next to nothing about you – except your success rate, of course."

"Who _are_ you?" I demanded.

After a long moment, she said quietly, "You would know me as the Silent Shadow."

I stared at her. I had heard of the Silent Shadow – mysterious, lethal, and highly successful. She tended to stick to the shadows, keeping largely out of sight of almost everyone. And yet each time she reappeared, she always brought some sort of target back with her before vanishing yet again.

"Prove it," I said.

She sighed impatiently. "Listen, Master Kenobi, I don't have time to go and prove myself. I have a bounty hunter to track down. I am the Silent Shadow, and as such the Jedi owe me a great deal. You can either help me and prove your reputation or I can knock you out and go track down the bounty hunter. Your choice."

I eyed her for another moment. If she was indeed the Silent Shadow, then she would not betray me. But if she wasn't. . .

I decided to take the risk. Now that I knew about her, the Force should protect me from any harm she tried to inflict upon me. Worst case scenario, I'd have her in custody instead of the bounty hunter.

"Are you in or not, Kenobi?"

I pulled out my lightsaber. "Let's go."

Just then, my danger sense flared and I whirled, activating my lightsaber and snapping it into guard position. I turned just in time to catch and return some of the blaster bolts. The Force whispered, and I leaped forward in that direction.

Shots whizzed by me, showing the target with shots and forcing the bounty hunter to duck. The Silent Shadow was a good shot.

But when I got too close, she was forced to stop shooting, lest she accidentally hit me instead. Good aim was nothing when the two targets – ally and enemy – got too close to one another. Especially when the both of us were moving targets.

The bounty hunter fired at me as I landed, and I suppressed a swear as the shot sent my hilt flying from my grip. But I recovered instantly, lashing out with a powerful kick. The hunter grunted before punching my stomach and shoving at my legs. As I fell, I twisted my legs around the hunter's ankles, sending the hunter to the ground, before kicking the hunter in the head. The hunter slammed backwards into the wall, accidentally loosing a shot as fingers convulsively tightened on the trigger. Thankfully, it didn't hit me.

But there suddenly a wave of distress and pain in the Force and I realized with horror that the shot had found its mark – just not with me.

I turned just in time to see the Silent Shadow fall to the ground. She broke her fall with a roll, but it was a hard fall and I knew that the fall had most likely winded her. It would take a bit for her to recover.

That turn was my mistake.

The next minute, I felt blinding pain as the bounty hunter kicked me in the head and lights exploded in front of my eyes.

I lashed out in return, but it was too late; the bounty hunter scrambled over the wall and escaped.

With a sigh, I let my head fall back to the ground with a thud. After a moment, I recovered enough to push myself into a sitting position and from there to stand up slowly. There was no need to rush, after all.

The Silent Shadow was already standing. "He got away. Great." Her voice was not angry, but cool, almost professionally so.

"Unfortunately. Will you go after him?"

"No. I need to report back to the Senator first; she needs to know if I'm leaving so that she doesn't do anything foolish." She holstered her blaster. "You should come as well; maybe her words can convince you of my identity."


	3. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

~ _Anali Yan__é_ ~  
Master Kenobi looked more than confused when Padmé greeted with me a hug as we returned to her penthouse.

"Thank the stars you're safe!" she exclaimed, looking me over. "I was so worried about you. . ."

"I'm fine, Padmé," I assured her.

Her eyes widened as she spotted the blood on the side of Master Kenobi's head. "Obi-Wan, what . . . what happened to you?" she breathed in surprise, looking him up and down as if expecting more injuries.

He shrugged, touching the side of his head with a slight wince. "Just a bump, Senator. Nothing serious."

Padmé turned her gaze back to me. "And so the Silent Shadow escapes harm even the famous Negotiator cannot?" she teased with a wide grin.

I walked into the apartment; I was itching to take off my helmet and let my hair down. The braid was practical but annoying, and I couldn't cut it off. Besides, I didn't want anyone wondering at why a bounty hunter and a Jedi Master were lingering outside of Padmé's door. I was successful, yes, but it didn't mean I wanted Holonet attention.

"He's the Negotiator, not the Hero With No Fear, Padmé," I replied. "And that's why I wear armor."

Padmé turned, her dark eyes concerned as she looked at me. "And you're really all right, Anali?" she asked softly.

"Yes; now stop asking," I repeated. "Now, can you explain to Mr. Stuffy Jedi here that I'm who I say I am while I get out of this infuriating armor?"

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
"So is she really the Silent Shadow?" I asked.

Padmé nodded. "Yes. She was once also a close friend of mine. She won't betray me, if you're afraid of that. . . She doesn't like the Separatists anymore than I do, especially after she saw what happened on Naboo during the invasion."

"She was on Naboo?"

"Yes." Then, before I could ask anymore, her eyes widened as she looked – really looked – at my head. "Stars above, what _did_ you do to your head?"

I touched it and winced. I hadn't realized that it was bleeding where I had been slammed twice into something – first the wall, and then the ground. But it didn't seem like a deep cut, and the blood was only oozing out. I could probably easily heal it with some bacta or even the Force, if I decided it was needed. Anyways, I had suffered worse injuries in the war.

"It'll be fine," I told her.

Just then, the Silent Shadow reappeared in the room, dressed in a simple civilian outfit. She had lost her boots in favor of comfortable shoes, and her hair was bound up in a simple bun. Everything about her outfit spoke of simplicity and nobility, for despite her simple clothes she carried herself with the assurance and grace of a born noble. It was clear to me that she was much more than just a bounty hunter turned hired bodyguard.

And there was something strangely familiar about her. . .

Then it hit me. The long dark brown hair, the brown eyes, the noble yet emphatic air – I knew who this woman was.

Without thinking, I rose to my feet. "You were one of the handmaidens on Naboo," I blurted out.

She smiled. "Yes. I went by the name Yané then."

"And now?"

Padmé interrupted then, rising to her feet. "I'm sorry, but I must retire now; I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow. So please, excuse me. Oh, and Anali – the medkit is in the cabinet if you intend to use it."

I turned my attention back to her as Padmé disappeared.

"So, what name do you go by now? Yané, Anali, or the Silent Shadow?" I asked.

She sighed, looking down at her lap. "It's been a hard life, Master Kenobi. I cannot afford the luxury – as you and the Senator – of staying by one name. . . I need aliases, and I do not hesitate to use them to protect myself. But if you must know, Yané is actually my last name. Anali is my first name, but known only to those who know my true identity. And the Silent Shadow is just a title, not a name; surely you realized that."

"And yet you were chosen to be a handmaiden to the Queen – despite this 'hard life'?" I asked slowly.

Her eyes narrowed. "Handmaiden I may have been, but that is not my life."

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I can see it's a touchy subject. It's just . . . You are very different from the girl I remember. . ."

She relaxed, leaning back and allowing a slight smile to cross her face. I wondered if she saw me as a threat; it would explain her reaction to my probing. "And you – you aren't different from the Padawan I remember?"

"Knight," I corrected. "I was a Knight when you met me."

"Ah, yes."

For a moment, I studied her, but her face was impassive and it was obvious that she had revealed as much as she was going to for tonight. Besides, I wasn't about to force her secrets out of her – as long as she kept her word and protected the Senator. With an internal sigh, I stood.

"Well, it was . . . interesting meeting you," I said. "But now I need to go – "

She raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to clean up that cut, Master Kenobi?"

"I can take care of it when I return to the Temple," I explained. "It won't be too difficult."

"Just let me do it and get it over with," she insisted.

I considered brushing her off, but then decided against it. It would do me no harm to take care of it now. And besides . . . maybe I could learn more about her.

"Very well," I relented, resuming my seat. She handed me the cloth as she returned, and I grimaced as I began dabbing at it. It hurt a lot more than I thought it would have for a small cut earned in a scuffle.

"Here . . . let me do it. . ."

Moments later, the seat beside me sunk down and I felt something cold dab at the cut as she took over. I winced, trying to keep my face impassive.

I obviously didn't succeed.

"Sorry. You've got a lot of blood here. . . But at least the wound doesn't look serious or too deep. . . It'll probably heal in a day or two, and I doubt it'll scar. . . You'll be fine," she murmured, dabbing at it again.

"You know a lot about this?"

"I'm a bounty hunter. I get into a lot of scrapes, and I get myself out. And in the meantime, I learn how to care for myself."

"How so – Ouch!"

Wincing, I pulled my head away. The wound had suddenly burned from whatever ointment she was putting into the cut. I started to consider that perhaps I should have suffered through a trip to the healers instead.

"Sorry," she said. "But all done."

I probed the wound, and found to my surprise that it no longer hurt. "What did you do?"

"It's a little trick I learned from my own cuts and scrapes. . . It'll heal faster now," she added, standing.

I caught her arm as she started to move away, standing as well. "Anali. . . I never got a chance to thank you."

She turned, a question in her eyes. "Thank me for what?"

"For what you told me, that day you found me on Naboo," I said. "Don't you remember?"

For a moment, she seemed confused. Then she blushed and looked down, and I knew she knew exactly what I was talking about. On my part, the memory was branded so deeply into my mind that I knew there was no way I could have ever forgotten it.

"It was nothing," she said, shifting uneasily.

I took the medkit from her hands and returned my hands to her shoulders. "It was everything. . . Don't underestimate the effect your words had. And I thank you for them."

"Master Kenobi – "

"Don't call me that," I interrupted.

Anali looked up, surprised. "Why not? It is your title, isn't it?"

"As the Silent Shadow is yours," I returned. "I think, after all you have done and confided, that you should be able to call me by my name, as I call you by yours."

"You haven't yet."

"Then . . . Please . . . Anali . . . Just call me Obi-Wan."

A small, shy smile lit her face and she looked away again. "If we meet again. I need to go hunt down that bounty hunter." As she spoke, the blush faded and her confidence returned.

"Then be careful. Please," I added quietly.

"I – "

"Anali? Can you come here for a second?" Padmé appeared in the doorway, shock registering on her face as she saw us.

Immediately, I let go and bowed shortly before leaving.

~ _Padm__é Amidala_ ~  
The second the door slid shut, I breathed a sigh of relief and sunk down into a chair. I had been so afraid that Obi-Wan would sense my secret. . .

"Padmé, are you all right?" Anali said, staring. It was the first time, I knew, that she had gotten a good look at me in some time; actually, no, it _was_ the first time I'd let her get a good look at me.

My head came up, and for a second I was confused. Then I sighed, sagging tiredly against the chair. My charade of being perfectly healthy and normal was not exactly the easiest thing to do at my advanced stage, and it was draining to continually wear the hot and heavy robes of my office to conceal it.

"Yes," I answered tiredly. It was an obvious statement than anything.

To my surprise, she remained remarkably calm. "What's been happening? I've never seen you so tired. . . How long have you been like this?" she asked, moving to my side.

"A while yet."

Surprise made her raise an eyebrow. "Why haven't you spoken to anyone about . . . Never mind.?"

At that moment, I was more than grateful that Anali was so perceptive. At first, it had irritated and scared me. Now, I knew that it was more due to the fact that she thought quickly than the fact that she might have, say, Jedi abilities.

"I'm just impressed you managed to hide it from Master Kenobi," she admitted, moving off and arranging the pillows on the couch into a presentable look in case we had company tomorrow. "Generally, Jedi sense many things that are not said."

"Do you have much experience with dealing with them?"

"No. . . I'm sure you know more about them than I."

"That might change one day," I said quietly, pressing a hand to my stomach and standing.

"Oh? How so?" Anali asked, turning to face me with one hand on her hip and a curious expression on her face.

I smiled, and was glad to have a reason to smile at last. "Don't play innocent, Anali."

"What?"

"Don't think I didn't see how close you and Obi-Wan are. . . I saw, Anali, I saw, and I am not forgetting."

Anali stared. Then she returned to arranging the pillows, but I saw the flash of a blush on her face. "That's different. . . I met him on Naboo, just as you did. I haven't seen or spoken to him in thirteen years, Padmé. And besides, Jedi aren't allowed to love."

"And you?"

"What?"

"Do you love him? Have any feelings for him? And don't you dare lie!" I added warningly.

"I don't. He's just a friend."

"Sure. . ."

Anali tossed a pillow at me, and I burst into laughter. Now there was no doubt in my mind that there was an old flame that burned between them, although how it had ignited I had no idea. But I was sure that the embers could burn yet again – if given the chance.

All it would take was a little spark in the right direction. . .


	4. Chapter 3

It is now the week of the midterm exams for me, and last year, I had the idea for my "midterm marathon" which I shall continue this year. Basically, it means I will post a chapter each day of midterms. So, Day 1 of the Midterm Marathon – more reunion time for Obi-Wan and Anali.

Oh, and Rachie81 asked me if Padmé was still pregnant; yes, she is. I will be following normal canon almost exactly up until . . . well, you'll see when we get there.

Read on!

* * *

**_Chapter Three_**

~ _Anali Yan__é_ ~  
_Padm__é Amidala, you will regret this for the rest of your life._

That was the only thought going through my head as I glared at my reflection in the mirror. I was not glaring at myself and I was really, really, _really_ tempted to say the words out loud – but I didn't. Having _him_ overhear them might be slightly problematic. Especially as the words were about him. . .

I had woken up this morning determined to track down the bounty hunter. But Padmé had decided to leave me some instructions.

Apparently, she had asked Master Kenobi to help me.

I didn't understand why she felt the need to try and push me to spend more time with him. Yes, we were friends, but that was no reason to get involved. Master Kenobi was a Jedi, sworn to forgo attachment in most forms but especially in love. And I was a bounty hunter, one who worked in the shadows to get the work done. It wasn't exactly what you would call the greatest match.

And on top of that, there was the age difference between us. Eleven whole years separated our ages. For an older couple, that kind of thing might not matter, but the thing was that Master Kenobi and I had met before, when he was twenty-five and I a mere fourteen. Now, the age difference didn't really matter, but then . . . then it had been clear about the differences between us. He had been wiser in the ways of the world, from the joys of traveling to the sadness of death. I had no such knowledge to my name.

Besides, I had been so . . . childish then, so innocent, so naïve. I didn't think I could look him in the eye now without recalling how foolishly childish I had been.

And I doubted that he had forgotten. We had met, after all, shortly after the death of the man he had called the closest thing to a father he had ever had. He hadn't forgotten that, and so I doubted he had forgotten me . . . and my naivety.

With one final sigh, I tucked the rest of my hair under the collar of my armorweave. I wasn't going to use a helmet today; if everyone expected a helmeted Silent Shadow, then the best way to blend in was to discard the helmet. And I had taken enough time lamenting; now it was time to work.

Master Kenobi looked up, and one of his eyebrows rose.

"Hush. It's part of my strategy."

His lips twitched into a faint smile, but I could see that he understood. Then he shrugged and moved to my side. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"If I wasn't, would I be out here?"

"Do you really want me to answer that question?"

I swatted his shoulder, but he easily avoided it. "_Hush_, Kenobi."

He smiled, resting his hand momentarily on my shoulder, which surprised me. The Kenobi I remembered hadn't been as keen on physical gestures or as inclined to slip into a teasing, familiar mood. But then again, Kenobi was also about thirteen years older now and not burdened by the recent grief of seeing his Master die, so perhaps he had changed more than I had thought.

"Come on," he said, tucking a datapad in his belt. "I have all the information here."

"What information?"

"Well, obviously we don't have any yet. But most likely the scene of our clash with the bounty hunter is untouched, so we can go and take a closer look at it and see what we can find. I daresay that you weren't able to memorize a lot of details during the fight."

"Neither were you."

"Which is why we are returning." He opened the door. "Ladies first."

I sighed and shook my head. _Yes,_ _Padm__é Amidala, you will _definitely _regret this for the rest of your life._

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I couldn't stop myself from stealing glances at Anali every now and then as we made our way down to the lower levels where we had fought the bounty hunter. She was just so . . . _different_ and changed and yet at the same time very much the same. It confused me, how different and alike she was at the same time.

I could understand why. It had been thirteen long years since we had last met, and she was no longer a handmaiden. She was a bounty hunter, and a very successful one.

Besides, I was sure that I had changed as well. I wasn't a recently Knighted Jedi anymore; I was a Jedi Master, with two Sith Lords I had fought and one Padawan I had raised and many battles I had gone through. I was changed as surely as she had.

But I was still confused as to why she chose to become a bounty hunter. As a handmaiden, she was most likely from a noble background. Therefore, there would be no reason for her to resort to being a bounty hunter, if she did so for money. I didn't think she _liked_ being a bounty hunter either, so I doubted that was the reason.

However, there was the slight possibility that she did so for the thrill of the chase. . . It would fit her personality, and make some sense.

I would have to ask her sometime. But I still thought it would take a while before I got used to her, changed as she was.

"Here."

It was the first thing Anali had said since we had left Padmé's apartment. We had journeyed in silence, and I wasn't quite sure if it had been a comfortable or awkward one. But I accepted it all the same.

I nodded and bent to examine the scorch marks of the blaster shots that we had dodged. Perhaps they could tell me something about the weapon the bounty hunter had used, which might tell me something about the bounty hunter him- or herself. It was a long shot, but it was all I had to work with at this point.

"Master Kenobi?"

I looked up to find Anali pick up something. She had wandered not too far away from me, her eyes on the ground and her hand resting on her blaster holster.

"What is it?" I asked, standing.

"A datapad," she said, handing it to me. "But it's wiped except for the homing beacon. Probably from hitting the ground in the chase."

I examined it. It was a new one, but of an older model. And it was dinged and banged up on one side, as if it had fallen out of someone's pocket. But Anali was right; turning it on indicated a wiped memory. So either it had hit the ground really hard . . . or someone was trying to leave a clue – and then set a trap.

I hesitated as I turned it over in my mind. My first instinct was to spring the trap, as I always did with Anakin. But Anali wasn't Anakin. And I didn't have the right to put her in danger. . .

"It seems like someone is either really irresponsible or they wanted us to find this," Anali was saying when I looked up. "I vote that it's a trap. . . I mean, it's almost a one in a million possibility that they actually dropped this conveniently where we would find it by accident."

"Hmm," I murmured.

She turned and glared at me. "You know it's a trap, don't you?"

"I guessed as such."

"And you're afraid that I might get hurt if you spring it like you normally do, aren't you?"

I frowned. "You're not invincible, you know," I said gently. "It might be better for me to go alone."

She snorted. "And let you have all the fun? Or, worse, get trapped because it was quite clear that you were a Jedi? No thanks, Kenobi. Besides, this isn't even your real assignment. It is mine, not yours. And this is my life. _I_ decide what is too dangerous and what is not, not you, and I'll thank you to keep out of it."

I sighed and handed her the datapad. "I see you're no less obstinate."

"And you no less overprotective."

I paused, startled, but she didn't notice; she was already striding off. I followed after a minute, still startled by her words. We hadn't really been friends long – we hadn't even known each other long enough or well enough to form a friendship. We had only met properly once, and after that day I had returned to Coruscant with Anakin while she stayed behind as a handmaiden to the Queen for the duration of her term.

"You think me to be overprotective?" I asked after a moment of silence.

"I _know_ you're overprotective, Master Kenobi," she answered.

"What gives you that idea?"

Now it was Anali's turn to be silent for a moment. Then, finally, she said, "You're trying to stop me from going with you even though you know I'll be an asset and that I can defend myself."

"I'm responsible for you; I don't want to tell Padmé that I – '

"You are responsible only for yourself, Master Kenobi; I'm a grown woman and Padmé hired me to do this work. I'll thank you to remember that I am no helpless child with a silver spoon in her mouth." Her words were sharp, as were her tone, but her words carried an air of desperation – to prove to me _and_ herself that she was ready.

I reached out and took her by the forearm, pulling her to a stop and to face me. "Anali," I said. "You have already proven yourself to me. You don't need to enter danger for no reason."

She looked away. "I need to do my work."

"But not at the risk of your life."

"If my life is the cost to bring down a killer, I will give it without hesitation," she stated quietly.

I studied her for a moment before sighing. "You should have been a Jedi; your determination and dedication is admirable."

She smiled slightly. "If I was a Jedi, Padmé would have one less protector. Besides, I'm not Force-sensitive."

I sighed again. It was a pity, too, for she would have been a great asset to the Jedi Order. The only problem was that had she been a Jedi, she might be even more stubborn about this than she was now.

"Promise me you won't act rashly," I said suddenly.

She stared. "What?"

I took her other shoulder in my hand, holding her close so that she couldn't pull away. I wasn't about to risk her safety and end up seeing yet another person die on my watch.

"Anali, promise me," I repeated.

"You're being overprotective again," she complained, trying to pull away.

I held on. "I won't see another innocent die due to rashness," I said seriously, somberly.

She stilled at my words, hearing the unspoken pain and plea in my voice. "Very well, Master Kenobi," she said reluctantly.

"What's with the sudden use of my title? I told you to call me Obi-Wan."

"But – "

"No ifs, ands, or buts," I lectured teasingly.

She laughed gently at the old rhyme, her dark brown eyes sparkling in the dim light. "As you wish, then, Obi-Wan."

"Good." Then I smiled. "I was afraid I would have to threaten to leave you behind before you promised."

Anali ducked her head, not replying to the probing. I could see that there was something she wasn't telling me, but I did not press her. I had a more pressing concern at the moment; I could deal with Anali later.

"Come on; let's go hunt down a bounty hunter," I urged.

She smiled. "If you think you can keep up."

"I – "

And she was gone, blurring into a run that took her out of my line of sight within less than a minute.

I blinked. _Well, I guess you've been hiding some things from me as well._ Then I grinned. _Now let's see how well that holds up against a Jedi._

I was sure she would lose.


	5. Chapter 4

Day 2 of the Midterm Marathon – we find out where the homing signal was coming from . . . and just _whose_ trap it was. Any guesses?

* * *

**_Chapter Four_**

~ _Anali Yan__é_ ~  
The second we entered the house where the homing beacon registered, Obi-Wan stiffened. His eyes narrowed and swept the house from side to side. He even held out his arm, preventing me from moving further into the house. His whole body went on full alert; I could see it in his face, in his clenched hands, in his eyes.

"What is it?" I asked lowly. I hadn't felt that anything was wrong yet, but Obi-Wan was a Jedi. And I trusted him, even if I was unhappy about being saddled with him because of Padmé.

"I don't know. . . I just feel that this is wrong. . ."

I began to back up. There was something in the air or in the place – just something that made me feel like an intruder and that pushed a feeling that I _had_ to leave into me. There was something _wrong_ with this place. I felt the strangest urge to turn around, to leave, to run as far away from this place as I possibly could.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea," I said.

His head abruptly snapped out, and he whirled around. "Out! Anali, get out!"

The air rippled around me, and suddenly I was falling backwards as though someone had kicked me hard enough to move me back. When my fall stopped, I found myself in a relatively defensible corner. Recovering, I scrambled to my feet, reaching for my weapons.

Obi-Wan was in the middle of a knot of men, lightsaber out and flashing, whirling and dancing to avoid the shots aimed at him. He was skilled, but even the most powerful Jedi could be overwhelmed by numbers.

Without thinking, I ran forward, firing randomly and furiously. I wasn't _trying_ to hit anything; I was just shooting to scatter the men and give Obi-Wan a break to use.

Unfortunately, they didn't scatter.

And also unfortunately, some merely turned and fired back.

Pain ripped through my forearm at the same time that I realized these men were wearing blaster-proof armor. My shots would wear that armor down – for my weapon was somewhat stronger than a blaster – and the armor would definitely not stop a lightsaber slash, but it would take some time for the shots to eat through and Obi-Wan couldn't be everywhere with his lightsaber.

I didn't have that time.

I resorted to using hand-to-hand combat techniques. I whirled, kicking at the men in any weak spot I could find – chest, leg, foot. Anywhere that was close and worked was enough.

Dropping, I swept out a man's leg and chopped at his windpipe before he rose. He choked in pain before going unconscious. He wouldn't be rising for some time.

Then strong arms seized me, and I lashed out. But the arms held, even though they faltered momentarily as I thrashed against the strong grip. As a last resort, I fired at the hands holding me. It was a risk – if the shot was too powerful, it would eat through me as well. But I had no other choice right now.

Thank the stars, the hold loosened.

But then it moved to my throat.

Pain whispered in my side as I gasped for air, dropping my weapons and reaching to loosen the hold on my neck.

One arm slammed across my throat as the other came up behind it. He jerked me backwards, so I leaned back and was off-balance. Gripping his own elbows with opposite hands, he then turned his palms parallel to the ground – and suddenly my air supply was completely cut off.

But I had no recourse now. I couldn't loosen the hold and I couldn't thrash any longer – I couldn't do . . . anything. I was gagging on my own tongue and I couldn't get the air I needed.

Black hovered at the edges of my vision and the world seemed to just . . . slow down. Sounds – the sounds of the fight – seemed to be drawn out and far away. . . Sensation multiplied a thousand times – me struggling to breathe, the pain flaring in my forearm and side. . . Thoughts slowed the speed of a snail, first not making sentences, and then not phrases, and then not words, and then not even syllables. . .

Then – suddenly – the hands were gone.

I fell to the floor, barely remembering how to breathe.

Darkness took me, and I willingly gave into that embrace as my eyes drifted shut.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I whirled around to see one of the men strangling Anali. She had fallen to her knees, her eyes dazed, her life slipping away. Her hands were up against her throat, struggling to push away the hands that cut off her air, but with every prolonged second of the struggle her efforts grew weaker and weaker as she lost strength.

Without even stopping to think, I grabbed the man and threw him from her with all the strength I could muster.

He crashed through a wall . . . and he didn't get up.

I ran to Anali's side and dropped to my knees. She wasn't breathing, and I could sense that she had fallen unconscious. Gently, I turned her over and tilted her head to ease her breathing. But still she didn't breathe. . .

"Anali," I murmured. Calling on the Force, I placed my hand above her forehead and used the Force to remind her body how it functioned, how it needed air – how it wasn't her time to die.

Coughs and a shocked gasp testified to Anali waking up.

I opened my eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. She was blinking dazedly and slowly, her body trying to refocus after her prolonged lack of air.

But at least she was alive.

"What – happened?" she panted, trying to sit up and talk at the same time.

I touched her shoulder lightly, continuing to use the Force to support her. "You don't remember?" I asked gently, funneling more energy into her to relieve the side effects she was suffering from being nearly strangled.

"I remember being strangled," she said slowly. "But how – " Then she saw where her attacker lay, and she stilled, her eyes going wide.

I shifted. "I didn't think," I admitted. "I just reacted."

_ My only concern at that moment was you._ I wanted to say that – but I couldn't. How could I justify that, after all? We hadn't seen each other in . . . twelve, thirteen years, and even then when we had met the meeting had been the brief, awkward kind of strangers thrown together by unfortunate circumstances – in that case, my Master's death at the hands of the Sith on Naboo.

Anali stared for a moment before closing her eyes and sighing. "Well, we certainly proved that this was a trap," she said briskly. "I wonder who set it up. . . I'll have to investigate that."

"Only after," I said pointedly, standing and offering her a hand.

She rolled her eyes and took my hand. But when I started to pull her to her feet, she suddenly gasped and let go. Pressing a hand to her side, she fell to her knees, her breath suddenly ragged and uneven, even more so than the last time.

"Anali?" I asked, concerned, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's – nothing," she forced out. "Just a momentary . . . It'll pass. . . Give me a minute. . ."

"Show it to me, Anali," I said.

"I'm fine."

But then two tears rolled down her cheek – and I knew it wasn't because she was crying of happiness. Whatever pained her was serious. But, independent and stubborn as she was, she didn't want to admit that, of course. Not to me, not to anyone.

I pulled away her hand . . . and then even I gasped.

Blood had already stained her armorweave, which was alarming as the armorweave was over her regular clothes. Droplets of the blood dripped from her hand, staining her pants and staining my own hand as well. I could see the burns around the hole, telling me that something – a shot or something – had burned through her armor and even her clothes.

But generally, such wounds did not bleed.

That meant that the shot had hit a fresh bruise, and so now the blood was seeping out.

So the wound was serious. Very, very, _very_ serious. If the bleeding wasn't stopped – and it would not clot on its own if it was caused by a blaster bolt – then she could potentially get an infection or, even worse, perhaps even bleed to death.

Moments later, I saw just how serious the wound was.

Anali blacked out.

Completely.

Only this time, she did not wake up immediately afterwards.

~ _Darth Sidious_ ~  
I watched through narrowed eyes as Kenobi lifted Yané, cradling her gently to his chest. There was tenderness and affection in his actions, things I had never seen in the Jedi – but then again, I had never seen him interacting with a normal person who was not a politician or a fellow Jedi.

As they left, I noted that the gang of hunters was dead. I shrugged. They had been nothing but tools, hired tools with bluster and firepower – nothing else.

At least they had fulfilled their purpose by dying.

Yané was a bounty hunter herself; because of this attack, she was certain to depart her duties as a handmaiden and try to track down whoever had hired them. That would leave Skywalker all the more concerned about Amidala's safety, as Yané was more than effective as a bodyguard in more ways than one.

And because Yané had nearly died, Kenobi would also be the more anxious over it.

In the end, the result was clear.

Yané would be hunting me (even though she didn't know it and would certainly never find me); Kenobi would be worrying about her; Amidala would be worrying about hiding her pregnancy; Skywalker would be worrying about Amidala – and in the end, no one would be watching me.

Therefore, I was left with a clear road. There was no one now who would be watching me.

Amidala was pregnant. She had to hide that, concern herself with the affairs of the Senate, _and_ deal with Skywalker's worries.

Yané would be soon leaving to track down these hunters. That trail would lead her off planet, and eventually into the Outer Rim. I wouldn't have to worry about her.

Kenobi would be worrying about me, about Skywalker, about the Council, about the Republic, _and_ about Yané. His hands – and eyes – would be far too full to watch me and discern my true purpose.

And Skywalker was the blindest of them all. He would have eyes only for Amidala at this stage.

In other words, everything was going together _perfectly_.

All it would take was a few days. For when Yané left, the whole chain of events would be started – and there was nothing, absolutely and completely and totally _nothing_ that would be able to stop me from taking over the Republic and declaring an Empire once more, an Empire that I as a Sith ruled by birthright and would always rule.

And the Jedi would fall. Painfully. And permanently.

_Who would have guessed_, I mused as I vanished into the shadows as Kenobi vanished from sight, _that one little handmaiden would be able to do so much by simply leaving?_

Well, I had guessed.

And now, I – and the Sith Order – would reap the benefits of plans laid for thousands of generations.


	6. Chapter 5

Well, today was a snow day, but it's still the midterms, and I didn't want to randomly not post, so I guess I'll call this the Snow Day Special. Cheesy, I know. But, hey, I couldn't think of anything else. So . . . yeah! Read on!

* * *

**_Chapter Five_**

~ _Padm__é Amidala_ ~  
I gasped and jumped out of my chair when Obi-Wan entered. Part of the reason I was so startled was because of his appearance – he looked like he had been taken off guard or ambushed or something. He also looked anxious and in general like he'd lost his calm. And the Obi-Wan Kenobi I knew _never_ lost his cool, no matter the situation.

The other reason, of course, lay in his arms – and was probably why he'd lost his cool.

Anali. Blood had stained her side a dark red, and she was unconscious. It could have been from the blood loss, but more likely it was from a multiple of factors.

"She needs medical aid," he explained. "But the Temple is too far away, and too public. Could we – "

I was already shaking my head. "It will be too public here," I said. "No, not here. Why don't you go to her apartment? It's small, out of the way, private; no one will bother you there."

He frowned. "Where is it?"

I gave him directions, and he left without another word.

I shook my head, and a small smile crept across my lips as the door shut. Normally, Obi-Wan would have been much more polite. He was usually this blunt, but generally he had a calmer, more impassive expression.

_And unless I was much mistaken_, I thought, _he was anxious to heal her._

Obi-Wan wasn't exactly the first person to leap to mind as a healer. He dealt with words, not wounds. He was one for the battlefield, not the healing ward. He was a negotiator, not a nurse.

And yet here he was, taking it upon himself to care for a woman he hadn't seen since he was twenty five years old – thirteen whole years ago.

_Yes, unless I am very much mistaken, there _was_ something between them, something more than Anali's ever admitted._

Anali had never said much about her relationship with others, but most especially Obi-Wan. We all had seen them when their conversation had ended and they had walked away on Naboo, but she had never said a word about what they had spoken about, save that he was still wracked with grief over his Master's death.

Then again, Anali wasn't one for those type of things either. If Obi-Wan wasn't a healer, then Anali wasn't the sympathizer.

Anali was a very . . . not cold, but distant person. Oh, sure, she warmed the more you got to know her, but still. . . She had seen a lot of bad things in life, and she had learned to close her mind to the atrocities, to not wear her heart on her sleeve, to control her emotions. She was a true warrior in the sense that she had mastered the ability to stopper her emotions, shield her mind, and seal her heart.

This, of course, sometimes made her come off as a cold, unresponsive, uncompassionate person, but that was just how Anali was.

But perhaps Obi-Wan could change that. Perhaps he could be the one to release her emotions, warm her mind, and touch her heart. Perhaps he could be the one to pry the laughter and the smiles which were so rare now. Perhaps.

_And now they have time. Let's see how it turns out. . . _

Grinning and thoroughly satisfied with myself, I settled back down to my work. Anali would be fine. And perhaps Obi-Wan would help her become better than fine one day. . .

~ _Anali Yan__é_ ~  
When I finally returned to consciousness, my first sensation was grogginess. I felt exhausted in the strangest way; I was alert, and yet I felt so, so tired. . .

Then I remembered what was wrong.

My eyes flew open at the same time that I sat bolt upright.

I was lying on the slide-out couch in my apartment. My armorweave had been removed – I could see it off to side – as well as my shoes. The sleeves of my shirt had been pushed up, and I saw that my forearm was treated and bandaged securely.

There was a flicker in the corner of my eye, and I looked up to see Obi-Wan enter.

He paused on the threshold. "You're awake." There was a tenor of relief in his voice, even though his sentence was brief and the topic neutral.

"Yes." I felt my eyes narrow. "What are you doing here?"

He gestured at me. "I didn't want to make a public scene, and you needed care, so – "

I interrupted impatiently, crossing my arms. "No, I meant how did you get _here_?" I rephrased pointedly.

This was my personal apartment, where I stayed between assignments or did research or came when I just wanted to be alone. Only Padmé was supposed to know about this place; it was supposed to be her hideaway should anything happen to the Senate or she had to hide or whatever. But there was definitely no way that _he_ should know about it.

He frowned slightly at my tone of voice before his expression suddenly cleared. "I asked Padmé, and she gave my directions," he explained, moving into the room.

"Oh." I relaxed. "Good."

He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"This is supposed to be a place only Padmé and I know about," I told him. "I was afraid someone's tongue had slipped."

Obi-Wan shook his head as he sat beside me. "No. Your secret is safe with me," he added.

"I hope so."

A strange expression crossed his face, but he held his tongue. Reaching out, he brushed a finger over my side. Pain flashed through me, and I let out a strangled, involuntary hiss. I could feel my fingers digging into the soft bed beneath me as I fought to control my response to the pain, to not let it escape.

Obi-Wan, though, wasn't fooled.

"It hurts."

"What a novel idea," I said sarcastically. "A wound actually hurts!"

A reluctant smile entered his face, and he pulled his hand back. "Sorry. I was being rather obvious there, wasn't I?"

"Not for the first time."

He sighed and pressed some bacta patches into my hand. "Here. Use these." He paused before adding, "Unless you want me to – "

"Uh-uh!" I exclaimed, pushing at him. "Out, out, _out_, Kenobi!"

He laughed and stood up. "Thought so." His eyes softened as he looked at me. "I'll be outside; let me know when you're done."

"Why?"

Now his expression turned inscrutable. "Because we need to talk." Then he walked out, giving me no time to say anything or tell him to leave anyways or end the conversation entirely, as I'd hoped to.

I sighed in frustration. I didn't _want_ to talk. But apparently he had decided that I had no choice in the matter.

_Lovely_, I thought, slipping off the bed and padding to the 'fresher. _Just lovely. I get trapped in a conversation with the Negotiator, who conveniently can read my thoughts and my emotions and is a blasted Jedi. Just lovely. . ._

I continued to complain to myself as I pulled my shirt up a bit to bare the wound so I could apply the patches.

The wound wasn't large, but it certainly wasn't pretty. But hopefully it would heal without a scar and not bother me in the future. I cleaned it slowly – with more than my fair share of grimaces and winces – and then prepared to apply the patches.

That's when another hand pushed mine out of the way and applied the bacta patches for me.

I jumped and dropped my shirt.

Obi-Wan was standing behind me, with a raised eyebrow and a slightly amused expression. He had folded his hands back into his sleeves, looking very much the model of the calm, perfect, at ease Jedi.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Him taking care of my forearm was one thing; my side was quite another matter.

"You were taking too long," he said neutrally.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You're lying."

He managed at once to look innocent and surprised; a rare feat. "Why, me? Why would I have reason to do that?" he asked innocently.

"Liar," I half-sang, moving past him. I sat back on the bed, folding my legs underneath me. If he wanted to talk, so be it. I would listen. And then I would shoo him out of here. I had enough troubles without Obi-Wan Kenobi to add to the list.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
She was right, of course. I was lying to her.

Not that I was _ever_ going to tell her that. It would be way too embarrassing to admit to her the real reason.

But Anali had just looked so startled and so . . . _beautiful_ standing there, surprised and flushed. Her hair had been flowing down her back like a dark brown waterfall, glowing softly under the lights; her face had been flushed with surprise and embarrassment, showing true emotion for one of the first times; and her eyes had been wary and surprised and almost . . . innocent.

I hadn't seen her in thirteen years, but my opinion of her was unchanged.

She had changed, yes, but in some ways she hadn't. This moment had proved it; the real Anali, the Anali I had met, was still there, buried deep inside of her.

And, of course, _my_ views of her hadn't changed a bit.

I had seen her, and I hadn't been able to resist reaching out and helping her. Her skin had been smooth and warm under my fingers, even though the contact had been brief before she realized I was there and jumped.

The contact had sent a shock coursing through me as well.

Thirteen years, and still the old flickering flame inside of me burned.

Thirteen years, and still my eyes always sought her out first, no matter where I went.

Thirteen years, and still my heart pounded frantically whenever I met her or came into contact with her.

That was why I now demanded a talk with her. I had let her slip away once from me; I didn't intend to lose contact with her again. At the very least, we could be friends.

It was forbidden for us to become more than that, of course.

There were other options, of course. I could always do as other Jedi had done; I could release my desires yet stay unattached, as the Code demanded.

But Anali deserved more than an emotionless, commitment-less relationship. I could not in good conscious sleep with her and never be able to give her anything more than a faint, brief hope of the few times I'd be able to slip away from the Temple. That would be to deprive her of the chance to live a normal live; to find someone she perhaps would fall in love with; to find someone she wanted to be with. I couldn't do that to her anymore than I could have done it then, thirteen years ago.

Besides, I wasn't even yet sure of my feelings towards her. I didn't really know if this wasn't just a passing fancy.

So I sat down beside her and readied myself to talk to Anali – really talk to her – for the first time in well over a full decade.


	7. Chapter 6

Day 3 of the Midterm Marathon! Today, more about the background between Obi-Wan and Anali. . .

* * *

**_Chapter Six_**

~ _Anali Yan__é _~  
"Do you remember," Obi-Wan began, "how we met?"

"Yes."

I could never have forgotten how we had met. It had been the first time, really, that I had seen a Jedi break down and lose their calm; and I had been young then, young and impressionable. I had seen the feats Master Jinn and Obi-Wan had accomplished when they had rescued us from the Trade Federation and then when they had escorted us when they returned to Naboo with Padmé and then finally, the beginnings of the duel between them and the Sith Lord. I had thought them near invincible.

Then, of course, Master Jinn had died.

And it was then that I had realized the one, overwhelming truth – Jedi, just like us, were . . . _human_, in every single way. They were people too; they lived and died and felt emotions and attachments to others.

I had not gone with Padmé, Sabé, Eirtaé, and Rabé to Coruscant with the Jedi, and so I had not the time to get to know them. Therefore, all of my impressions beforehand had been that Obi-Wan was distant, silent, and somewhat cold. That hadn't been true, but I hadn't known that.

And then I had walked into the funeral at the end to find him crying silently on the floor.

Yes, I could never forget that scene – ever.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I had a feeling you would," he said quietly. He smiled slightly. "You had thought I was a cold, distant person – and then you saw me showing emotion for the first time. . . I imagine you were surprised by it. . ."

"I was," I admitted. I saw no point in concealing it; he had known or would guess anyways. And it was so far in the past.

"And yet . . ." he said slowly, "And yet you came over and tried to comfort me."

"I tried to _talk_ to you," I corrected.

He crossed his arms and leaned back. "I seem to remember you coming over and letting me cry on your shoulder. Then you took me to the terrace and _then_ we talked. But I also remember you doing most of the talking."

I blushed and looked down. I hadn't expected him to remember _that_ much of what had transpired. . .

"Why are you ashamed or scared of it?" he asked softly.

I shifted. "I'm usually not that . . . emotional, I suppose," I said slowly. "I just . . . Helping crying people is not my forte."

"And yet you helped me," he stated.

"You caught me off guard," I argued, feeling my cheeks heat up.

Obi-Wan merely looked at me, not even bothering to reply to my words. Well, he raised one eyebrow, but other than that he did nothing.

Finally, he said quietly, "Why are you so afraid to show emotion to others?"

I started in surprise. "What?"

"You heard me."

"I . . . don't . . . I don't understand," I muttered.

Obi-Wan sighed and leaned forward. Moments later, gentle fingers were sliding over my cheek and a gentle hand was taking mine in it. For a moment, I stared, too stunned to do anything else. He had _never_ initiated such physical contact before, even though we had met but once. Then my brain kicked in and I yanked my hand back.

He gestured. "See? You avoid showing emotion – you avoid doing anything that leads to a show of emotion."

I moved backwards, out of his reach. "Why'd you do that?" I asked warily.

"To prove something. And to demand an answer."

I sighed and dropped my eyes. "Emotion is not . . . You can't wear your heart on your sleeve in the street and expect to live through your first day. The galaxy is not that forgiving." I lifted my eyes again. "You of all people should know that."

He locked eyes with me for a moment, and for a second I nearly lost myself in the swirling depths of blue-green eyes. If I hadn't guessed at it before when I had met him, I certainly knew for real now – Obi-Wan Kenobi was a great deal more than he seemed to be. More than a person, more than a general, more than a Jedi. More than most people ever were. More than I certainly was or ever would be.

Then Obi-Wan nodded suddenly, and the contact was broken.

"I see," he said softly. "You have certainly – adapted to the life of the streets. It is not a life . . . I would have . . . wished for you."

I narrowed my eyes. "I had no choice – and what is more, it is _my_ choice to deal with _my_ life however I wish. Not however someone else dictates, Master Kenobi."

He smiled reluctantly. Then he reached out and put his hand on my shoulder.

I stiffened, but all he did was speak.

"If you need me – or someone to talk to – you know how to find me," he said simply and quietly.

Tears started filling my eyes. They were the same words I had spoken to him, oh-so long ago. The exact same words. The only differences were that this time he had spoken them, not me – and that no one was dead this time.

Well . . . No one was on their funeral this time.

And suddenly tears spilled from my eyes – and I was crying.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
Without thinking, I reached forward and pulled her to my chest. I didn't know what exactly she was crying over, but I did have a very good guess as to _why_ she was crying.

The words I had spoken had been the exact same ones she had spoken to me.

To me, they were reassurance and the start – and, at the same time, the end – of a friendship with someone I'd never expected to befriend. To her, I knew she would see it more as permission, that she didn't need to keep up her appearance – cool, impassive, emotionless – with me around, that she could just . . . let go.

And thankfully she had.

Her body trembled with sobs as I held her close, but they were quiet, personal sobs – her attempt to maintain some semblance of control.

I didn't press her. It was enough that she had even lowered her barriers this much.

The situation was startling familiar, actually; except now, the positions were reversed. She was the one being comforted, and I was now the comforter. And while I was more comfortable than ever in who I was, she seemed to have become ever more fragile and filled with sorrow and weariness.

I wasn't too surprised, though. Life hadn't been kind to Anali; and especially not if some of the rumors I had heard were true. . .

But I wasn't surprised when Anali didn't pull away, even when she'd stopped crying. I had expected her – to try and regain her dignity, her image, her self-control. It would be a natural reaction for just about anyone.

And yet she didn't. She stayed where she was, pressed against me, silent in my arms.

After a long moment, she finally spoke. "Sorry for that." Her voice was shaky, but only just; already she was regaining control.

"It was time for me to pay back the favor," I replied simply.

Silence reigned for another long moment, but it was a comfortable one. I didn't want to let her go, and I secretly suspected that she didn't want to leave. It was just so . . . comfortable . . . peaceful . . . perfect when it was like this between us – calm and quiet and alone. And I valued it all the more considering that it was the first time it had happened in so long. . .

Then – finally – Anali pulled away. "Sorry," she said again.

I brushed my fingers under her eyes, sweeping away what remained of the tears she had shed. "It's okay. . . Everyone needs a chance to let go . . . once in a while," I murmured.

She looked at me and shook her head. "Letting go is something I don't have the luxury to do."

"I know."

She sighed and slipped completely out of my embrace, and it took a great deal of my self-control not to lock my arms around her and refuse to let her go.

"Well, I've got to get some sleep before I go do more hunting," she said. She turned to me. "And I think you should be returning to the Temple to make your report to the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan."

I smiled – with effort – and stood. "Is that supposed to be a veiled hint that it's time for me to leave?" I teased.

Anali smiled back. "Subtlety was never my strong point, remember?"

I looked at her, and this time the smile came without effort. It wasn't hard to smile when I saw her like this – in private, personal settings of friends, not in public. "I remember."

She laughed and shoved at my shoulder. "Well, then – take the hint, Jedi Master, and get your butt out," she said. "Shoo, come out – get out!"

I whirled in time with her push, catching her as she stumbled and fell at the unexpected loss of resistance. "You're not being very nice – or seeing the guest out," I teased pointedly. "Where have your manners gone?"

"You're not a guest – you're an intruder."

I blinked and pretended to be wounded, but in truth I wasn't sure which I should be – started or actually wounded.

"I was kidding, you know," she said after a moment.

I relaxed. "Good."

Then Anali seemed to realize how close we were, but for some reason she didn't seem too bothered by the fact – something that comforted me somewhat. At least she still looked upon me as a friend for real, and not just by what she said.

Of course, that didn't mean that I just looked upon her as a friend anymore. . .

With a flourish and a bow, I kissed her on the cheek – as one would for a friend – and departed. I did need to get back to the Temple, after all.

It's just I didn't think I'd be getting blank dreams anymore. Not with Anali back in my life.

Not a chance.

~ _Padm__é Amidala_ ~  
I plopped down on the bed, sipping at the mug of warm hot chocolate and grinning at Anali over the rim. "So – spill!" I demanded.

She sat down, a little less theatrically than I had, but her expression – one of pure (and most likely faked) confusion – totally made up for that. Anali was hiding something. I was sure of it.

"About what?" she asked.

"You and Obi-Wan!" I exclaimed, impatient.

"What about us?" she murmured absently, apparently buried in whatever research she was doing.

I leaned forward and snatched the datapad from her, earning an indignant "Hey!" and a wide slap that didn't land.

"Come on, answer! I'm dying to know – "

"If you want something, just ask already!" Anali interrupted, her voice tinged with a measure of her own impatience as she tried to get the datapad back from me. "Now give that back to me, will you?"

"Not until you answer."

"Answer _what_?"

"How are things between you and Obi-Wan?" I repeated.

Anali's expression suddenly cooled and drained of emotion; yep, she was definitely hiding something. This was her "cool" expression – the one she used when she was either lying or pretending to lie.

"What's it to you, Padmé?" she returned.

"Well . . . I'm just curious . . . You two seemed to get along really well that one time. . ."

Her eyes narrowed. "If you're trying to match us together, forget it. Have you forgotten that Jedi are forbidden to form attachments?"

I barely kept my hand from straying to my stomach. _No. I definitely _haven't_ forgotten that._ But I couldn't say that. I didn't know yet if I could trust Anali with that big of a secret. Moteé and Ellé knew, but they had been serving as my handmaidens for a long time now; Anali was relatively new, and I hadn't been too close to her when she was my handmaiden as the Queen. She had been the youngest then too, and she had remained on Naboo when I went to Coruscant. Sure, we had bonded over handmaiden training, but still. . .

Anali shook her head sharply, and the movement jolted me back to reality. "Look, Padmé, you're my friend and all, but I have more important things to do than dance around Obi-Wan Kenobi for your amusement. So please stop." So saying, she snatched the datapad back and stood.

When the door shut behind her, Moteé and Ellé emerged from the bedroom. Moteé was smiling silently and Ellé was shaking her head in amusement.

"She's fallen," Moteé said.

"Or as close to it as possible," Ellé added.

I nodded. "They're even closer than I thought," I commented thoughtfully. Then I raised my eyes to them. "Do you think she can be trusted?"

Both took a while to deliberate, which I appreciated. It meant they were weighing every possibility while putting my safety and secrecy at the top, a rare gift nowadays in the backstabbing and corrupted Senate.

Finally, Moteé nodded. "She can be trusted."

"Are you sure? There, her friendship with Master Kenobi might turn against us." It was one of my only doubts against Anali, but it was a big one. One slip, and everything would be out in the open. And Obi-Wan was on the Council, as Anakin frequently reminded me, and therefore would feel honor-bound to report it.

Ellé pointed out, "You already trust her as an infallible bodyguard. Why not, then, to trust her with your secret as well?"

"You need two handmaidens to appear, Senator; having one makes people think something's amiss," Moteé added. "You can't constantly say that we are taken ill or busy."

I sighed. "I understand. It's just . . ."

They shared another glance. "We understand," Moteé murmured. "A secret shared is not quite a secret anymore."

"But you think she can hold it?"

"And hold it well," Ellé added. "Her backing will help if Master Kenobi questions her. It would be best if she is informed before he tries."

"Good point." I thought over it for a moment more and then decided. "I'll tell her tomorrow."

_And then_, I thought to myself, _And then we'll see the true nature of Anali __Yan__é's loyalty – to me or to the Jedi._


	8. Chapter 7

Day 4 of the Midterm Marathon! Padmé has a little-yet-not-so-little secret Anali needs to know. . .

* * *

**_Chapter Seven_**

~ _Anali Yan__é _~  
"Anali?"

The soft voice jolted me awake as effectively as a white-hot poker. I sat bolt upright, startled. Around and in front of me were scattered papers and datapads and scraps with scribbles written on them – it was a total mess here, as though a tornado had come through.

_Guess I feel asleep doing research_, I thought, rubbing at my sore cheek. _Wow. That hasn't happened in years. Guess my injuries took a greater toll on me than I thought._

"What, Padmé?" I called back, standing.

"Can you come here?"

She sounded . . . worried. Anxious. Concerned. I had never heard her like this before.

_I wonder what's wrong. . . Hopefully she isn't feeling sick or something_, I thought, crossing the room. _She's got a lot of meetings today, and with some important people, and I don't think it'd be great for her to miss them, or attend – _

Then I stopped dead in my tracks, staring. After a long moment of silence, I stuttered, "Padmé?"

Padmé was standing at the other end of the room, clad in a simple dark green robe. The light streaming in from the windows behind her highlighted her figure, at first disguising what I had seen – and then, highlighting it. What had I seen? That the dark green robe, in its best day, would have clung to her slender figure, emphasizing her youth and beauty along with the power and wealth she wielded. But now . . .

She smiled, with effort. "Yes," she confirmed. "I'm pregnant."

I stumbled, barely managing a chair so I didn't fall on my butt to the floor. "But – But how – How long?" I demanded, still barely able to process the sight of her. "_How long, Padmé_?"

Her smile faded somewhat, and her head dipped. "Six months now," she murmured.

"Stars above," I breathed. I had wondered once, briefly, why she had begun selecting the darkest, heaviest, obscurest of her Senatorial attire to wear. Now I knew the answer – and that fact lingered in my mouth like the bitterest salt.

_I should have seen this. I should have had at least some inkling that something was off. . ._ I mean, I had served Padmé when she was Queen; I should have at least guessed that something was off about her. . .

"Don't be ashamed," Padmé said gently. "You are not the only one who doesn't know."

I looked up sharply at her words. "Master Kenobi." It was more a statement than a question, and her answer was more a blush than a sentence.

"Who's the father?"

She hesitated. "I . . . can't tell you. I'm sorry."

Then it was my turn to hesitate. Several things were clicking into place now – details I had noted yet not put together, rumors I had heard yet not heeded. . . And then I had it.

"Skywalker," I breathed, standing up. "Anakin Skywalker."

Her slight start and the widening of her eyes was all the confirmation I needed.

"A Jedi," I stated slowly, rolling the word – and the idea – around. "A Jedi is your husband?"

"Yes," she whispered.

Suddenly I was furious. "Padmé – if you get caught – if anything happens – if this gets out – don't you realize he'll be _expelled_ from the Order? The Council won't stand for this! No attachment – at all – is allowed. And this . . . this is the worst defiance, the gravest error! He'll be stripped of everything for this!"

Padmé stood and walked over to me. "If it gets found out," she emphasized calmly.

I inhaled and tried to calm myself down. I couldn't get worked up about this – I shouldn't get worked up about this.

But still. . . Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, the Hero with No Fear, had married? Had gotten Padmé pregnant? Had defied the most important, most sacred, and most binding of all oaths of the Jedi Order?

Was he out of his _freaking mind_?

"Anali," Padmé said, loudly. She placed a hand on my arm. "Anali. . . Please. Listen. Hear me out."

I sighed heavily and turned back to her. "All right. For now."

"Anakin and I have been married for three years now," she explained. "He loved me for over ten years beforehand. Then we met again when the Chancellor assigned him to protect me. And then – then we just . . . fell in love. Just before the Clone Wars, when we were on Naboo during all the problems over the Military Creation Act. It was the most magical thing that ever happened to me. And then – and then after Geonosis. . . After seeing all that death, why would we want to wait and risk death to take us before pledging our love?"

"So you married."

"Yes. And we've hidden it from everyone; not even my parents or my sister has any inkling that I'm married."

"And now you're pregnant." I just had to say the words. I had to do it, to try and wrap my mind around the idea that what she and I were saying was . . . real.

That, more than anything, seemed to hurt her. She winced. But she dutifully replied, "Yes."

I released a long, slow breath. She was pregnant, soon to be a mother of a child she could not ever fully recognize as her husband's. I mean, as if Padmé wasn't in enough danger, now she was going to have a child as well?

But then, that must be why she had told me. She needed someone. She needed help.

"Have you seen a med droid?"

My question seemed to startle her, but she replied all the same. "No. I don't want this to get out."

I frowned. _That's taking a great risk. . . I understand her reasons, but still . . . If something goes wrong, she'll be dead before we even have any inkling about it. And this is her first child too, so she doesn't really know what to expect._

"I know what you're thinking," Padmé said. "I know this is a huge burden to ask of you. . . But I have no choice. I can't bear this burden alone and I – "

"With all due respect, Padmé, that was _not_ what I was thinking," I interrupted. I reached out and took her hands. "My lady, are you sure about this? If something goes wrong. . ."

"I'll be fine. My main concern right now is hiding this from the press. And the Jedi Order." Padmé's keen brown eyes searched my own. "Can I rely on you to help me, Anali? I know I'm asking you to lie for me and my husband, but I have no choice right now. . . Please."

I took a deep breath. "I will lie for you if I must. But in all others, I will avoid the subject. I don't wish to lie anymore than I must."

Padmé's face showed her relief. "Thank you, Anali." Then a hint of shame entered her expression. "And, Anali?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really very hungry right now. Do you think you could order some food?"

I stared at her for a long moment. Then we both burst out laughing.

"Of all the things you ask me, it's _this_ that has you most worried?" I asked her, trying to recover from my laughing fit.

"Yes," she admitted with a laugh.

I shook my head, still smiling. "As you wish, my lady." As I walked away, I called over my shoulder, "Are you ready for the first meeting of the day? It begins in less than, oh, two, three hours, you know."

Padmé always had some meeting or another during the day; I had stopped thinking it odd of her to always be either rushing back from a meeting, preparing research from another meeting, and rushing off to yet another meeting not a half hour later. And today's meeting was especially important, with members of the former Loyalist Committee – those who had tried to negotiate a peaceful solution before the Clone Wars broke out – and many of Padmé's personal friends.

Even a Jedi was said to be coming to this one; but I tried not to think about the fact that it would most likely be Master Kenobi.

"Um, Anali? That's another thing I have to talk to you about. . ."

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
It was towards the end of the meeting when I started to think that something was seriously wrong.

I had been guessing something was off – or perhaps it had been the Force hinting that something was off – but in either way, clues had just been piling up the entire three hours of this meeting.

It could have been how Padmé seemed less vocal than usual, listening more and arguing less than she spoke. Or it could have been the way she consulted with her handmaidens more than usual; generally, the two women stayed out of sight – and out of mind. Or it could have been the way she seemed not as focused as she usually was. She seemed tired, but that had never stopped Padmé before, much less shown on her face. . .

Finally, at the end of the meeting, I couldn't stand the tension any longer.

Carefully, as everyone else filed out of the room, wishing Padmé good-bye and good luck and whatever else they were saying to her, I slipped to her side, ignoring the handmaidens' disapproving looks. The only indication she gave that she noticed me was a small tilt of her head in my direction.

"I was wondering if something was wrong, Senator," I explained in a low voice.

"Nothing's wrong," she replied – but there. There again. Her voice was . . . different. Not different as in a different tone, but as if someone else entirely was speaking. . .

And then it hit me.

I looked at the woman in a whole new light. "You're not Padmé, are you?"

The woman ignored me and turned to the handmaidens. "Moteé and Ellé – you may leave. I can take care of myself. . . And, no, he's fine," she added, gesturing at me. "No, no; go on. I'll be fine. Just . . . Well, you know what do to."

The handmaidens cast me another look, but they left.

Then the woman turned to face me completely, and everything fell into place. Even with the Senatorial attire and concealing make-up and regal aura, there was no way she could have completely hid her real identity – especially not from me, who not only was a Jedi but who also knew her personally.

"Anali." Her name slipped from my lips easily. "Playing decoy again?"

She shot me a surprised look. "'Again'? And when, pray, have I played as Senator Amidala's decoy before?"

"Ah . . . Never mind."

"If you're speaking of Sabé," Anali said shrewdly, "then yes, I knew. But that didn't mean that I had ever been the Senator's decoy before. I was the youngest of the handmaidens, remember? I only would have stepped up to that if all but Eirtaé could not have done it. . . But thankfully, it did not come to that."

She moved towards the bedroom, unpinning the elegant coils and braids that bound her hair as she moved. "And what did you need to see me about, Master Kenobi?" she asked, stopping in front of the windows and continuing to undo her hair so that she could remove the delicate silver blue headdress of lace and beads that was woven into her hair. "I presume that either you have something really important to tell me – or you just didn't realize that I wasn't the Senator. Am I correct?"

I found it hard to contain my flush, despite her casual tone. Anali certainly had been blessed with keen insight.

"And what if it was neither?" I shot back.

She turned, pausing midway through a braid. "Then I am mistaken," she admitted. "But somehow I doubt I am."

"You aren't," I conceded with a sigh.

Anali grinned. "Nice try, Master Kenobi. You fell for it, didn't you?"

"Until the end. But yes." And then I frowned at her. "And why are you calling me that again?"

"Sorry," she apologized. "Habit, especially after that kind of boring and long meeting. I don't understand how Padmé can sit through them and do all of that research so eagerly. . ."

"I doubt she understands how you can do your bounty hunter research and hunt down your bounties," I countered.

"Point." Then she tugged suddenly on the headdress, which shook delicately in response, and gave a frustrated groan. "Come _on_, stupid thing!"

Frowning, I walked closer. "What is it?" I asked.

She gave another yank. "It's stuck and I would like it out, obviously!"

"Obviously. Here – let me try," I said, gently pushing her fingers out of the way. "At least I can see it."

"Great comfort," she said sarcastically. "If you pull out – Ouch!"

"My apologies," I said automatically, barely repressing a smile. "But stop moving so much, Anali. This thing is tangled enough without you helping, you know."

She grumbled, but at least she stilled. And then I got to work.

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
After waiting for another ten minutes – which seemed like forever – Obi-Wan let out a pleased exclamation and finally pulled away the annoying headdress. I hated those kinds, but this one really did match the Senatorial outfit I was wearing, and Padmé would really have worn that kind of thing. Ridiculous? Yes. But she would have still worn it.

Obi-Wan laid the headdress gently on the desk and ran his fingers through my hair again, which was finally completely unbound.

The movement startled me, and I pulled back.

He didn't notice – or just didn't comment. The latter seemed more like his style . . . but then again, he had fallen for my pretending to be Padmé, and that was a great deal more work than pulling away subtly.

"No more pins; everything's out," he said.

I had already known that, of course. And I got the feeling that it wasn't the reason he had touched my hair again. . . However, at least he wouldn't do it again.

But instead, against my assumptions, he did keep looking at me, a slight frown on his face. I felt as though I was still yanking at my headdress impatiently or doing some other childish action, and I felt my face heat up slightly. He was scrutinizing me, and I wasn't quite sure why – or what to think of it. Or even how to react, really. How did you react to a Jedi scrutinizing you? Was it a good thing? A bad thing? Or just normal?

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked nervously.

He blinked, as if coming back to Coruscant when I spoke. "Nothing," was his reflexive answer.

I shoved him lightly. "Well, then, nothing, please leave so I can get back to work. At least working through the Senator's research is more entertaining than playing her decoy." And so saying, I plopped down in her chair and pulled the sheaf of papers and datapads towards me.

But I didn't hear the sound of him leaving, and a few minutes later I looked up again.

He was still staring at me.

_This is starting to get annoying._ I spun around in my chair to face him. "What?" I demanded of him.

He started, and then crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. "It's nothing, Anali."

I sighed. "You're lying, but please leave. Unless your staring has produced some miraculous conclusion that you feel you need to share now."

A small smile played on his lips. "Actually, yes."

I crossed my own arms, mimicking him. "Oh really?"

"I think . . . that you work way too much," he pronounced simply and finally. "Get into some civilian clothing, will you?"

His request shocked me as much as his announcement. "Um . . . Why?" I managed to stutter.

Obi-Wan smiled. "It's a secret. See if you can figure it out." As he strode away, he called, "I'll be waiting in the main room, okay?"

I stared after him in amazement. Then I said, to no one in particular, "You take way too many liberties, Kenobi. Time for someone to teach you some manners. . ."

But even so, I reached for my regular clothes.


	9. Chapter 8

Day 5 and so the final day of my Midterm Marathon! More reunion time for Obi-Wan and Anali . . . and an unexpected revelation. . .

* * *

**_Chapter Eight_**

~ _Padmé Amidala_~

I sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window over Coruscant, the luxuriously warm blanket wrapped tightly around me. It wasn't as comfortable as reclining in my husband's arms, but I would have to settle for it, as Anakin wasn't yet up.

Meanwhile, I watched the passing traffic. Or, more specifically, the traffic entering and leaving my penthouse door. . .

Warm arms encircled my waist, and then Anakin's voice was whispering in my ear. "What are you looking at, darling?"

_Oh. Guess he is up._ "Nothing, my love," I assured him.

"You're lying," he murmured, placing soft kisses on my neck. "I could tell even if I wasn't a Jedi."

"When are you _not_ a Jedi?"

He laughed, and I smiled at him. He was just so . . . relaxed when it was just the two of us. Perfect, alone, in love. We didn't have to worry about acting formal or hiding our feelings or being someone we weren't. We were just . . . _us_. Anakin and _Padmé. Husband and wife. And soon-to-be father and mother. . . _

"How about now?" he whispered huskily.

"Okay, stop it," I said, pushing at him gently. "I have to go back now. . ."

He touched my face. "It's all right. I'll see you tonight, all right? Assuming you don't have another 'meeting'?"

"Ani. . ."

"And what were you looking at?"

"What was I looking _for_," I corrected.

"Well?"

I pointed out the window, a small triumphant smile on my face. "Go see for yourself."

He raised himself up on one elbow, frowning – and then a confused look crossed his face. "Master Obi-Wan?" he muttered under his breath. "What are you . . . And who is . . . What are you _doing_? Oh, no, wait I see . . . No, I don't . . . What in the Force's name are they trying to . . . Where are they _going_?" He started to get up. "I'd better go find out before you get in trouble, Padmé – _"_

I pulled him back down. "Don't bother. We're all right."

Anakin stared at me, blue eyes confused. Then the confusion cleared. "That's Anali with him, isn't it?"

I nodded.

He grinned mischievously. "You're quite the schemer, my dear."

"And you, quite the accomplice," I shot back.

He shrugged, pulling me down on top of him. "I'm not denying it, now am I?"

_~ Anali Yané ~_

The restaurant was just classy enough to be the type of thing that was casual yet . . . well, formal. It was an odd mix of both, but just the right touch. It wouldn't be the kind of thing Padmé or any of the other Senators would have gone to on business, but perhaps on casual, personal matters that weren't confidential.

I liked it.

Obi-Wan liked it too; I could see from how he relaxed and moved so confidently, as if he knew it as well as the back of his hand. He knew it well, and had probably been here many times.

This was confirmed when the manager, a huge Besalisk, came around.

"Obi-Wan!" he boomed in a friendly voice. "Nice to see ya around here – for once, at least!"

Obi-Wan laughed, standing. "Nice to see you too, Dex," he replied. "And sorry for not visiting more; this war has kept me busy."

"Ah, I don't blame ya," Dex said agreeably. "You were working your butt off even before this war. . . But who's this lady here, huh?"

I stood and opened my mouth, but Obi-Wan beat me to the chase. I should have expected it though; polite to the last – that was Obi-Wan. He could never fully abandon his gentlemanly habits, not even when disguised.

"Anali, meet Dex. He's the owner here," Obi-Wan explained.

Dex looked me over. Once again, I got the feeling that he was seeing more than my face. Not quite reading my soul, but still . . . It was a deeper reading that most people did, delving farther beneath my mask than most. But then again, Obi-Wan – and certainly Dex – were more than most people.

Finally, he nodded once. "Welcome to my diner," he said simply before traipsing off. "Oh – and don't let Obi-Wan intimidate you into what you're gonna eat here!"

"I would never!" Obi-Wan called indignantly.

I laughed quietly as I knew how to, but Obi-Wan heard, and he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Dex is always teasing me," he said, by way of explanation – and complaining. "Especially when I bring new company with me."

"Dex isn't his real name, is it?"

"No."

"And the fact that he's your friend isn't the real reason we came _here_, is it?"

Obi-Wan cast me an approving glance as he sat beside me. "You're as sharp as I remember; good. And, yes, you're right on that. Dex," he began, "knows a lot of people and has a lot of contacts. And oftentimes, he hears thing I don't – or wouldn't. He's a good source of information, and he's honest about it too. Dex doesn't deal in backstabbing or blackmail or any of that stuff. And . . . well, he's a great friend regardless."

"Glad to hear it," I murmured. "And what was with the whole staring? First you, and now him; is this 'stare at Anali strangely' day?"

Obi-Wan chuckled once. "I wish," he said strangely, his blue-green eyes glittering as if he knew some joke that I didn't.

I glared at him. "Straighten your tongue, Negotiator, and give me a straight answer, will you?"

He merely smiled; I knew I didn't really intimidate him and didn't have a single change of being able to. "Dex knows a lot of people and a lot of things," he said finally. "And as much as he's tempted to trust you because he realizes you and I are friends, he prefers to go by his own judgment – which is why he was studying you."

"Okay then. . ."

Obi-Wan looked at me and his smile faltered. "I hope you're not offended."

"What? No, no. . . Just thinking."

"About?"

"Nothing."

He leaned back. "Now who's lying?"

"No, just – " I leaned forward. "Think about it, Obi-Wan. This attempt was not just the work of random, hired men. They even knew how to set up a trap – and a very good one at that – to be able to nearly be your end."

"And my own," he added, his eyes dark.

"I keep coming to the conclusion that I'm missing something," I said quietly. "Like there's a missing piece to my puzzle that I haven't quite yet figured out – and I won't, because I still don't know even the outline of the puzzle. It's infuriating."

Obi-Wan's eyes showed his sympathy, even if outwardly his expression didn't change. "No one's perfect, you know," he said softly.

"Never mind. I have more important things to worry about. Like – " I grabbed the menu " – what to eat before you do whatever you have in mind to me. I'd rather suffer it on a full stomach."

"_Suffer_?" he repeated incredulously. "What do you take me for, a torture specialist?"

"Oh, no," I said airily. "Merely a politician."

I could have died of laughter at the stunned look on his face.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
Regrettably, the evening didn't last. As I had a Council meeting the next morning, it seemed best that we end the meal early. Besides, I could tell Anali was eager to get home and resume her research and I suspected that she would be staying up rather late to do so.

We made the journey home in almost complete silence, and once again I wasn't able to tell if it was comfortable or uncomfortable silence. But I suspected that was typical with Anali – and I hoped I'd get better at reading her as I got to know her better.

"So," I said as I powered down the speeder, "am I allowed to return here or am I to pretend I don't know it exists?"

Anali gave me a confused look. "What do you mean?"

I gestured. "Here. Your home. . ."

"Would a 'no' have stopped you?" she asked shrewdly, a hint of a smile on her face.

I pretended to consider it. "Probably not," I conceded.

She laughed. "Thought so. Besides, you have to come back anyways; I plan to get a lot of research done and hopefully find some answers to our puzzle."

"Until tomorrow then?"

Anali smiled. "Tomorrow night, yes."

She started to stand up, readying to get out of the speeder and return to her apartment. But then she stopped. Turning around, she leaned forward abruptly – and suddenly I felt warm, soft lips on my cheek.

A kiss. She was kissing me.

I started to turn my head, to ask her what she was doing – or perhaps to capture her lips with my own. I wasn't really sure which action was clearest in my mind at that particular point. But by then, of course, it was too late.

"Good night, Obi-Wan," came her whisper.

Then she was gone.

For the longest moment, I sat there with the stupidest grin on my face and a paralyzed mind before I shook myself back to awareness and started on my way to the Jedi Temple.


	10. Chapter 9

**_Chapter Nine_**

~ _Anali Yané _~  
I sat on the edge of the blanket and coughed. My eyes filled with tears, and it took all I had not to spit – or worse, to vomit. And all the while I bitterly regretted taking Obi-Wan's advice.

Then a hand landed on my back, and the acidity in my throat eased.

I glared up at him as he removed his hand, and Obi-Wan was hard pressed not to burst out laughing – I could tell.

"Sorry," he said, fighting a grin. "But you were just too gullible."

I crossed my arms. "Thanks. Now it's your turn!"

With that, I tackled him. He resisted, but only weakly; I knew he was too much of a gentleman to struggle too hard and accidentally hurt me. After that, it took only a little effort to force the very sour round yellow berry between his lips, and his reflexes – just like mine – assured the rest when he swallowed. Moments later, he was doubled over just as I had been, although he certainly recovered faster than me.

"You weren't kidding," he said finally, wiping away his tears.

I grinned. "Revenge is sweet."

"Sour," he corrected, plopping down to sit next to me. "Very, very sour."

"Whatever."

He reached past me to the containers and produced another berry. This time it was red, and almost vaguely heart-shaped. He held it out to me. "Try this one, then."

I frowned up at him, but his expression was dead serious. "You just duped me into eating that sour thing and you expect me to trust you with _that_?" I demanded. "What do you take me for, a little girl?"

"And a very petulant one," he said agreeably. "I promise, it's not sour."

"And your promises mean . . . ?"

"Anali, come on, just try it" he coaxed.

"Um . . . No."

He shrugged, shifting closer to me. "Revenge is sweet, then."

I had no time to figure out what he meant, because in the next moment one of his hands was on my back, another was on my shoulder, and the berry was in my mouth.

Thankfully, he hadn't lied _that_ time.

He was grinning like a little boy when I looked back at him, frowning as I licked my lips.

"What _was_ that?" I asked.

"I think it's called a strawberry."

"A what?"

"You heard me."

The next few moments passed in silence – comfortable, overlapping silence. The day had been long, and being around Obi-Wan seemed to make things . . . relaxed. Easy. It was a strange sensation to feel around a not so not-strange Jedi, but still . . .

Finally, I decided to unsettle _him_ for a change. "Obi-Wan?"

"Yes?" he said absently.

"What's a Sith?"

Obi-Wan froze, and when I turned to face him, as I saw that his blue-green eyes were glittering almost coldly, almost . . . emotionlessly.

"Where," he said slowly, "did you hear that term?"

I shrugged.

"Anali." His voice was low and dangerous, as I had rarely heard it. He sounded on the verge of pouncing on me and demanding the truth with his lightsaber in hand. It almost . . . frightened me, actually.

Almost.

"Hey, relax," I cautioned him, putting a hand on his chest. "Breathe. Calm down."

With effort, he sank back down. He caught my hand and held it, his eyes focused on my face with unspoken emotion. "Anali. . . This is dangerous information," he said quietly. "I don't want you to be in danger from something you cannot face."

"I'll be fine. I stumbled across the term on my own, from an outside reference," I told him. "Just a minor mention of it. Nothing serious."

His brow furrowed. "Do you know if it's legitimate?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is it real?"

"Why, of course it is. Isn't it?" I added uncertainly.

He dropped my hand, his expression resuming its normal impassiveness. "It might not be. You better be careful where you're getting your information, Anali."

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
To say I was shocked about Anali stumbling across the term "Sith" would have been a grave understatement.

_She shouldn't have found out about that term. . . It could get her in so much trouble if the Sith found out about her._ I imagined for one sickening moment what it would mean for Anali if either of the Sith found out about her – and that thought was utterly devastating.

As I drove her back to her apartment, though, the thought shifted from my mind.

Anali had fallen asleep sometime along the ride home, which I found out when I parked the speeder and found her curled up in the seat, eyes closed, breathing steady. I studied her for a quick moment, wondering absently what it was about her that drew me so strongly to her, more so than anyone else had before.

Then I shrugged and neatly scooped her up in my arms.

The movement startled her awake, and while for a moment she was still, the next she realized what was going on and started to struggle out of my arms.

"I can walk, Kenobi, thank you very much," she said, glaring at me.

"Not when you're asleep," I countered.

"You could have just woken me up, but _apparently_ that was too difficult for Mr. Jedi Master."

"Point." However, I still continued to carry her, easily containing her struggles to get free. "However, as it's late and you're tired, I thought it best to make sure you actually got home."

She gave me another pointed glare. "I've been walking on my own since I was five years old, Kenobi. Now put me down!"

Thankfully, at that moment we reached her apartment, and I easily let her slip from my arms. She grumbled under her breath, shooting me more glares, as she swept back her hair and smoothed out her clothes. I crossed my arms and waited, wondering what she would do next.

Anali reached for the door and opened it, turning on the lights and dropping her coat on to the chair. I followed, and she didn't comment.

Finally, grudgingly, she turned back. "Thanks."

"For the night or for carrying you?"

She scowled.

Laughing, I let my arms fall and stepped closer to her. "You've really changed, Anali," I said in a low voice. "If I hadn't known you, I wouldn't have known you used to be a fourteen-year-old handmaiden with a bright laugh and a silly, sweet nature."

She flashed me an amused glance. "And you – you haven't changed?" Without waiting for an answer, she said, "If I hadn't known you, I wouldn't have known you used to be a twenty-five year old Jedi Padawan with a broken heart and a serious, silent nature."

"What happened to us?" I whispered, putting my hands on her shoulder.

Anali was silent for a long moment before she looked up, her brown eyes searching mine. "I don't know. And I don't know whether I should have stayed as I was."

"It's a good thing you haven't."

She gave an almost forced little laugh. "Why?"

"Because," was all I could think to say. There was no real reason or rhyme to my decision; it was just a gut feeling that could have been the Force . . . or was perhaps just a gut feeling deep inside.

"That's not a reason."

I stepped even closer. "Maybe this is."

Then I kissed her.

~ _Anali Yané ~  
_I almost lost my head. Not literally, of course, but . . . almost.

I had been kissed before. Sometimes I had started it; sometimes they had started it. Sometimes they had gotten a kick in the stomach for it; sometimes I had had simply no choice but to stand there and endure it.

But after this time, I had the funniest feeling that no one would ever, ever come that close to me again.

Kissing had never seemed precious to me. It had simply seemed like a gift to me to use against those I hunted. Feminine wiles sometimes were sometimes the one thing that got you past the security, after all, and if I had to pretend to seduce someone to do it, well, too bad. Duty was duty, and nearly always I got my revenge later on.

But with Obi-Wan, suddenly everything was different.

Suddenly, kissing seemed precious, special, unique – a gift to be given only to those who you cherished, admired . . . or loved.

And suddenly, I craved the feeling of his lips against mine more than I'd desired anything else in my entire life.

I let my instincts take over. It only seemed natural, as he was doing the same, and I had nothing to lose. It was as if the tug in my gut was exploding and suddenly I knew exactly what to do while at the same time being frozen in the pleasure and the surprise of kissing him.

Without thinking, I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him back, burying my fingers in his hair as his hands slipped from my shoulders and his arms tightened around my waist.

At that point, the entire Holonet crew could have been there shouting and taking pictures and whistling, and I wouldn't have cared in the slightest.

Everything seemed different, oh-so-different, from my first kiss. Then it had been hesitant, awkward, almost forced. Neither of us bad been sure about anything, and sure enough, after our split we hadn't seen each other in many years. I wasn't surprised, though. That had been a childish attempt to see if our relationship had what it took to withstand the test of passion and time.

Now, the kiss seemed natural, smooth, and comfortable in every way. I still wasn't too sure about much, but I knew this much – if our life turned out like this kiss, it would be smooth sailing from now until the day death took us both. There was more than enough love and understanding in just this kiss to last us until the end of time, or maybe even longer. With Obi-Wan, my doubts seemed like petty concerns to be cast away and ignored.

He pulled me closer, and I went willingly. The feel of his body pressed against mine only seemed to make things more surreal instead of making me realize this was really happening and this wasn't just a dream.

And then the cold metal of the lightsaber on his hip bumped against my waist, and all of my thoughts scattered.

Lightsaber. Obi-Wan's. A symbol – A symbol of the Jedi.

And what we were doing right now? _Definitely_ against the Jedi Code, in every way.

With a hard yank, I propelled myself backwards, breaking the kiss and breaking out of his hold and breaking away from him.

Obi-Wan opened his eyes and frowned, genuine confusion in his blue-green eyes as he looked at me. "Anali?" He stepped forward, one hand outstretched, his mouth open to ask what was wrong.

I backed away. "I can't do this."

He halted immediately. "What is wrong? I sense – "

"No! Don't sense anything! Just . . . We can't do this. You have to leave. Please. Just go."

He stepped forward again, his frown deepening as he probed my emotions. "Anali, what's wrong? What is it?"

I backed up even further and panic hit when my back touched the wall, cutting off any more retreat. He must have sensed it, for concern entered his expression and he reached out to hold my shoulders, trying to comfort me.

"What's wrong?" he repeated.

I looked away. I couldn't look at him and say this. But I had to. "We – We can't do this," I forced out. "You're a Jedi. You can't break the Code like this. I won't let you."

Shock hit and he backed off instantly, putting a good five to six feet between us. "Is it me?" he asked softly. "Or is it really the Code?"

I whirled to face him, eyes blazing. "How can you think it's you?"

He shifted. "You're right." He looked down. "I don't know what I was thinking. I – I'm sorry. I have to go."

And then the dam broke. I was losing him; I could see it. I slid down the wall and curled into a little ball, trying to muffle the sobs and not even bothering to hide the tears. I was losing him. No; correction – I had _lost_ him.

There were some footsteps, and then he spoke, softly and brokenly and full of pain. "Anali, I'm so sorry." There was a shift, and then I felt his lips on my forehead.

At that moment, it took everything I had not to turn and throw myself into his arms and beg him not to leave this place – not to leave me. I squeezed my eyes shut, pinched myself, bit my lip – I did anything to keep myself from reacting to him.

But it was only for an instant, and then he was gone. The door slid shut behind him seconds later.

Then I just cried. I had had him – the one person I could have ever considered being in a serious relationship with – only to realize that he was also the one person I could never have a relationship with. There was a gap between us that couldn't be filled, an obstacle course that couldn't be traversed, a wall that couldn't be climbed. We were separable, now and for forever. I couldn't have him, no matter how much I wanted him.

_Love is bitter_, I realized. _I fall in love only to realize I'll be pining for that love for the rest of my life._

Because, for now and for forever, there would never be another man who could ever even begin to replace Obi-Wan Kenobi in my heart.


	11. Chapter 10

**_Chapter Ten_**

~ _Padmé Amidala_~  
Anali didn't show up at all or even report via communicator the next day. That was the only inkling that something was perhaps a bit off, but there was a weird feeling in my gut that told me that something was wrong, really wrong. Maybe it was the fact that Anali had never missed a day or maybe it was just a gut feeling, but I felt that I should trust it.

All I knew had been that Obi-Wan had taken her out again. I hoped that he hadn't let his Jedi ideals stand between them. If he had . . . well, I hadn't taken the sparring classes for nothing.

I opened her door easily; she had given me the key and the override, just in case.

"Anali?" I called.

"Padmé?" came her answer. "Is that you?"

I was taken aback by her voice. It was raw and uncontrolled, like a dam that's been burst and has now been drained completely dry. And it sounded rough, like she had been crying . . . or yelling at someone.

_What have you done, Obi-Wan Kenobi?_ I seethed, marching over into the bedroom.

Anali was lying on her bed, curled up. Her eyes were red from crying, which explained why her voice sounded so rough. She seemed . . . defeated, resigned, beaten, as though her heart was broken and would never be healed and she wasn't going to even bother to try to fix it. She had accepted it. She was reconciled to it.

"Oh my stars. . . Anali, what _happened_ to you?" I asked, shaken.

She sat up and ran a hand across her eyes hastily. "What? Oh, nothing. Just some . . . bad news, is all. I'll be fine."

I gritted my teeth. "What did he say to you?"

"Who?"

"Stop playing dumb! What did Obi-Wan Kenobi say to you?"

Anali sighed and looked down. "It wasn't him."

"Whatever do you mean?" Then a horrible thought occurred to me. "You didn't turn him down, did you? Oh, Anali, what did you _do_?"

She sat up and slid off the bed. Even in defeat, she was still graceful and noble. "It's all right. It can't be helped." She saw my look. "Padmé. . . I can't be like you. I cannot in good conscience do that sort of thing to him."

"What . . . happened exactly?"

Anali sighed. "I think it's time you knew the full tale. Then, maybe, you'll understand why I did what I did. Come on."

_~ Anali Yané _~  
After I'd cleaned myself up and had poured out some drinks, I settled on the couch opposite to Padmé. In the meantime, I put together my story.

I closed my eyes. I remembered the encounter like yesterday, even though it had been almost thirteen years ago. There was no way I was forgetting something like that encounter, though; it was the one in a million meeting you never forget and held in your heart forever, that special moment where everything was perfect.

Of course, no one ever said that the following moments would be as perfect.

"So," Padmé said slowly, "what did happen?"

* * *

Her words took me back thirteen long years within a mere thirteen mini-seconds. Of course, this time, I decided to take her along for the ride as well.

All in all, I was having a great twelth birthday.

We had just celebrated our victory over the Trade Federation and our alliance with the Gungans, and the parade had been a lot of fun. Later, in private, my parents had arrived to celebrate my birthday as well, gifting me with a silver jewelry set they said had belonged to our family for a long time, passed down from daughter to daughter. On the necklace was an ivory rose blossom, delicately and realistically carved, a charm that matched the miniature version on the ring and on the bracelet.

[_Of course, I hadn't known then that it was the valuable thing we had, and that it would be the last gift I would get from them._]

I had just been skipping through the rose garden, amazed at the value of the gift and the amount of trust my parents had in me to give me this kind of thing, when I came across a young man kneeling in the dirt.

I immediately stopped and hesitated. He seemed like he wanted to be left alone, but he was also grieving and sometimes grieving alone was even more painful than the cause itself.

My decision made, I stepped forward. "Hello? Are you okay?"

The young man started at my voice, his head snapping up. In one smooth movement, he stood and turned to face me. Blue-green eyes narrowed almost suspiciously at me, and one of young man's hands strayed subtly to the metal hilt at his waist. He tensed as though I, a twelve-year-old handmaiden, could actually be a threat to him, a Jedi.

I recognized him immediately. It was the Jedi apprentice that had came with Qui-Gon Jinn.

Obviously, he didn't recognize me. For one, I knew he would have a hard time telling the handmaidens apart if he saw us. Besides, as I was celebrating my birthday, I no longer wore the attire of handmaiden anymore either.

"Jedi . . . I'm sorry, I don't know your name," I realized.

He relaxed slightly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi. And who are you, young one?"

I frowned at the title. I was young, true, but so was he. And technically, I was only two years away from being a grown woman by Naboo standards. At least he hadn't used a patronizing tone on me when he had said it.

[_Of course, in his condition of grieving, I doubt he could have patronized anyone._]

I skipped a step closer. I hadn't gone with the Queen and the others, and so I knew very little about what had happened. My only real experience in the Jedi abilities had been the short burst of fighting in the hangar. And as Naboo was so peaceful, we rarely had Jedi and so he was a mystery to me.

"I'm one of the Queen's handmaidens," I answered. "Yané."

A faint bemused smile lit his face as he looked up and down at me. "You look rather young to be a handmaiden, young one," he said.

"And you, rather young to be a Sith slayer," I returned.

He tensed again. "You shouldn't use that name in public," he warned. "It's dangerous."

"So am I." I stepped closer. "Who was the man you came with, Qui-Gon Jinn? Who was he to you?"

He turned away, and his voice turned rough. "It's none of your business."

I let the comment pass uncontested. Obviously, the two Jedi had been closer than I had thought. They had seemed cold and distant to me, but they had still fought well together. And generally, people only fought that well together after years of being together. So maybe there was some history behind their relationship, something that I wasn't picking up.

"You know," I said softly, "you don't have to grieve alone. Being a man is as much knowing when to control yourself as it is knowing when to let go."

His breath hitched, and he whirled to face me, blue-green eyes almost wild with confusion. "How did you know that?"

"My father says it all the time."

He swallowed. "My Master said it too."

[_Then we just . . . were silent for a bit before we sat on the bench by the lakeside and really talked. Just normal chatter. That is, before I brought his Master up again._]

"What did you mean by 'my Master'?" I inquired.

He looked away, at the lake. "Qui-Gon Jinn," he said finally.

"But . . . You're not a slave, right? So why do you call him master?"

He managed a faint smile and leaned forward. "Okay. How much do you know about the Jedi Order?"

"Not much," I confessed ashamedly.

"Well, I'm not a slave. Calling him 'Master' was just like how you call your father 'Dad'; it's just a title of respect, that's all."

I studied him. Talking about his . . . Master certainly seemed to pain him. "He meant a lot to you, didn't he?"

For a moment, he didn't speak. Then he slowly stood up, as if the movement pained him, and faced away from me. "Meant a lot to me?" he repeated finally. He shook his head. "How is that enough to describe how you feel about the only father you've ever had, a man who taught you everything you know and has been with you since you were only thirteen years old?"

"In other words . . . He was more than your Master."

"Yes," he whispered brokenly, almost sobbing, falling to his knees.

I slid off the bench to sit beside him. Then I comforted him when he let go and the tears came out. I just sat there and hugged him, the way any friend or mother would have comforted a grieving child.

[_That was when I realized that Jedi were just as human as I was. They weren't emotionless . . . robots, but people. People who lived and lost and grieved for their losses. They were just perhaps better at hiding it._]

When he was done, he let me know by abruptly pulling away. He dried his tears with a single swipe of his hand. Then he looked back at me, and his expression softened.

"Are you okay?" I ventured.

"Yes." He looked at me and managed a tiny smile. "Are you sure you're not in training to be a soul healer?"

"A what?"

He chuckled briefly. "Never mind." He stood. "We should probably get back now." He held out his hand and helped me to my feet, and then we strolled in comfortable silence back to the garden and then to the palace.

But when I made to enter the palace, he caught my arm. "Wait."

I turned. "What?"

"Thank you. For your words."

[_He hadn't really needed to say that. I could see his thanks in his eyes, and that was more than enough for me._]

"And happy birthday," he added with a small smile. Then he turned, vaulted over the low wall, and was gone before I'd blinked twice.

* * *

Padmé was staring open-mouthed at me when I finished. "I never knew," she murmured. "All I knew was that he seemed happier the next day." She smiled. "You worked a real miracle."

I shrugged. "Not really. Wouldn't you have done the same if Anakin had lost a parent?"

For some reason, the most peculiar shadow crossed her face when I said that, as if I'd unknowingly stumbled across some dark, private secret. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and I decided to ignore it.

"So . . . what happened yesterday?" she prodded.

I looked down. "Um . . . Well . . . We went out to dinner, and he brought along dessert for a sort of . . . picnic later," I said.

"And . . . ?"

"And later back here, he . . . well . . . I . . ."

"Oh, just spill!"

"He kissed me," I confessed finally in a rush, feeling my cheeks heat up.

But Padmé only seemed more confused by my admission. "Then what went wrong?" she asked. "He obviously likes you a lot. Do you not like him?"

"No! I . . . like him." I took a deep breath. "But I can't be with him. He's a Jedi, remember? Attachment is strictly forbidden for them; if we got caught, he would be expelled in disgrace from the Jedi Order. I can't let that happen to him."

At that, Padmé was silent for a long time. Then she nodded. "I see," she said softly. "But you still like him, right?"

"Like him?" I felt like laughing hilariously. It was the situation with Obi-Wan's Master all over again. "Padmé, if I loved him anymore I wouldn't have been able to say no to him."

"No, I don't think so," Padmé remarked in a thoughtful tone. "I think the reason you were able to let him go is because you love him more." She stood. "You can have the day off. Bye, Anali."

* * *

By the way, when Anali is giving her little recollection there to Padmé, anything that's has [ ] around it and is italicized are basically side things Anali is telling Padmé as she tells her story.


	12. Chapter 11

**_Chapter Eleven_**

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I crossed my arms and looked at Padmé. "Honestly, Senator, I actually don't have a single clue as to why you asked me to meet you."

Padmé sighed. "Obi-Wan," she said quietly, telling me that this meeting was for personal reasons and not for public appearances, for in public she never used my first name, only my formal title. "Obi-Wan, this is about Anali."

I stiffened instantly, even before I'd even fully processed the sentence. All I needed to hear was Anali's name. _How does she – How much did Anali tell her?_ That was the only thought running through my mind, even though I'd spent two whole nights worrying about how to patch my fraying relationship with the woman I'd fallen in love with.

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly.

Compassion entered her face. "Obi-Wan, I know you have feelings for her."

"So?"

"So you're just going to deny them?"

"Yes."

"That isn't healthy for you," she advised me.

_No_, I thought. _But telling them to anyone won't be "healthy" for me either._ Besides, privately, I wondered what was wrong with me. Anali wouldn't have rejected me for such a simple reason as the Jedi Code; there had to be something wrong with me that would make her push me away. There had to be.

"Why don't you just tell her how you feel?"

"I won't, and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs, Senator," I snapped tartly. I immediately regretted it, but I was bitter over losing Anali and even bitterer over not being able to do anything about it.

Padmé merely sighed again. Walking up to me, she put a hand on my shoulder. "Obi-Wan. . . You do realize that she loves you, right?"

I stayed silent.

"Were you willing to give up being a Jedi for her?" she pressed.

At that, I hesitated. I was willing to give up my life for Anali, I was willing to change for her, I was willing do almost whatever she wanted, but . . . to stop being a Jedi? Now, that was a tricky and loaded question. In the first place, I had my duty to the Order, to the Republic, to the galaxy to consider before I tossed it all away for something else.

Padmé released me. "Obi-Wan, I've spoken to her, you know. She loves you more than anything; she thinks the universe of you. And because she loves you so much, she wants you to be happy, and she fears you won't be if you give up being a Jedi just for her."

I closed my eyes and reached out to the Force. But Padmé's words were ringing in my ears with the sting of unlooked for truth, and somewhere deep down inside, I knew she was right.

"I think you should talk to her," Padmé said quietly.

My eyes snapped open, and I turned to face her. "Talk to her?" I repeated incredulously. "What will that accomplish?"

She met me eyes squarely. "So she can tell you herself, if you don't believe me."

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I had my nose buried in a Holonet search when a knock sounded on the door, so at first I ignored it. After a few more knocks, though, I was forced to realize that it was real and it wasn't going away, whoever it was.

With a grumble, I stood up and made my way to the door, my mind still filled with possible links.

Therefore, I was so completely unprepared for the sight that greeted my eyes that for a moment I just stood there, eyes wide, mouth agape.

It was Obi-Wan.

"Can I come in?" he asked quietly, his warm voice unusually sober.

I backed up. When he shut the door, I turned around and crossed my arms. "What do you want, Master Kenobi?" I asked harshly, hoping my voice wouldn't break.

Seconds later, I felt his hand on my shoulder and he turned me around gently. I looked down immediately, but he countered by lifting my chin. I trembled when his blue-green eyes met mine and he looked at me searchingly. Then he lowered his head to kiss me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my head. "Obi-Wan, we can't," I whispered, at once dying for the kiss and at the same time praying he would stop now.

The kiss never came, and he let go and stepped back.

I opened my eyes, confused, to find him watching me with a half smile on his face.

"What?" I demanded.

"Padmé was right," he said simply. He laughed softly. "And here I thought you were rejecting _me_."

I started. "What?"

"You didn't know?"

"You thought I was rejecting you because of . . . you?"

He nodded. "It's all right; she set me straight. With a bit of a lecture, of course."

"What . . . What did she tell you?" I asked warily.

"Nothing I didn't already know." He walked over to me and put his hands back on my shoulder. "Anali, I won't stop my feelings. But as you seem to have a better head about them than me . . . I guess I'll wait for you to decide when it is right."

"You'll wait for me?"

He brushed at a lock of my hair. "If you'll wait for me."

At once, his expression became formal and he let go, stepping back and folding his hands back in his sleeves. "I'd better go now; I have to clear some things before I give the briefing."

"Wait." I caught his hand.

He looked at me. "What is it?"

"I found something interesting in my research, something I haven't come across before. I was hoping you could take a look at it. . ."

He smiled. "Of course."

I led him back to my search and plopped down in the chair. Then I pointed to the results. "I tracked down the people who used the logo on the datapad we found," I explained. "It says the group used to be stationed in a back area of . . . this planet." I looked up at him. "I've never heard of it, and it doesn't show up in any archives. . . Have you heard of it?"

"What's the planet's name?" he asked, his eyes flickering over the screens.

I pulled up the search. "Um . . . some backwater planet called . . . Bogden," I said. "Have you ever heard – "

He started. "Bogden?" he repeated, his tone full of surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Why?"

He continued staring at the screen for a moment. Then he sighed and looked down at me, his eyes worried. "Are you planning to check this out?"

"I want to do some more research first."

"Good decision," he murmured, but I got the feeling it was more to himself than to me. "I'll see what I can do; maybe the Temple has more information on this planet."

I studied him. His reaction seemed strange, even if he did harbor romantic feelings for me. "You've heard of this planet before, haven't you?" I guessed, watching for his reaction.

His brow furrowed, but he nodded. "And not in a good way," he said darkly.

"I'll be fine – "

There was a sudden chime from somewhere, and I jumped. He smiled and touched my shoulder reassuringly before producing a comlink from an inner pocket of his Jedi robes. I stuck my tongue out at him. He ignored me.

"Yes?"

"Master Kenobi," came a firm voice tinged by excitement. "We're calling a special session of the Jedi Council. We've located General Grievous!"

"I'll be right there," Obi-Wan assured him.

_General Grievous._ I suppressed a shudder. I knew Obi-Wan had fought the droid general before and escaped mostly unscathed, but that didn't assuage my fears. He was a powerful Jedi, but Grievous . . . Grievous was a monster. He wouldn't hesitate to torture, main, and/or kill Obi-Wan in the most painful ways devised. In fact, he would probably get a grin out of it if he could grin with his metal mask of a face.

Obi-Wan saw my shudder. He leaned down and knelt, so that we were eye level. "I'll be fine, Anali," he said quietly. "Don't worry about me."

"I can't help it, Obi-Wan. What if something happens to you?" I blurted out. "Grievous will do anything, absolutely _anything_, to you without even blinking."

He managed a small smile as he clasped my hand in my lap. "Glad to hear such confidence in my abilities." Then he turned serious and put a hand on my neck, his thumb tracing a soft pattern on my cheek. "I'll be fine, I promise. Besides, even Grievous can't match two Jedi in open combat, and Anakin will be at my side."

Anakin. Oh, dear. _Padmé won't like that._ Especially not since she was in such an advanced stage of her pregnancy.

He noted my sudden frown. "What is it?"

"Nothing," I lied.

He frowned, but he must have decided not to push me, because he let go of me and stood. "Be safe, Anali. For my sake."

"I will. And the same to you."

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
As I walked away, my heart pounded in my chest and I could barely keep a straight face.

Bogden.

Oh, yes, I had heard of that.

From Jango Fett, the bounty hunter who had later tried to kill me and who Master Windu had later killed.

He had told me on Kamino that the man named Tyranus had hired him on one of the moons of Bogden. It had been one of the only things he had revealed to me before I had tried to take him into custody, failed, been taken prisoner, and then seen him be killed by Master Windu in the arena on Geonosis.

And she had said that _that_ was where the gang that had attacked us was likely to have established their base?

That, of course, didn't bode well for me allowing Anali to go there. Most likely, it was a seedy, churlish, uncivilized world where death was only four steps away – or less. And her reputation as the Silent Shadow probably wouldn't sit well with the criminals who most likely lived there.

All in all, every cell in my body urged me to extract Anali's word that she wouldn't go.

But I resisted it.

Anali was her own person. She was a woman now, fully grown. She made her own decisions. I couldn't dictate my every whim to her and expect her to agree.

Besides, she had a fiery, independent spirit. She wouldn't promise to me anyways, even though she would know exactly why I would be demanding it of her. The least I could hope for was that she listened to me when I warned her.

I would have to do my own research on this planet later.

And if she got hurt . . . Force protect anyone who dared to hurt her, because nothing less would save their sorry hides.


	13. Chapter 12

**_Chapter Twelve_**

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
As I entered the Archives, I nodded shortly to Madame Nu and other Knights I recognized as I swept through. But I kept my senses alert, searching for the one figure that would be out of place in the sea of glowing blue holobooks and brown-tan-cream-color ensemble of Jedi robes. It wasn't hard. Within a few minutes, I found her, sitting at a station with her eyes glued to the screen, barely acknowledging anything around her.

It was unlike her to be so relaxed. But then again, this _was_ the Jedi Temple, and she did trust the most of us not to stab her in the back.

But still, best to be cautious.

I reached out to the Force, quieting my footsteps and modulating my breathing and silencing the sweep of my clothes as I approached. Then I tapped Anali on the shoulder, causing her to start so violently she nearly fell out of her chair.

I grinned. "It's only me."

She scowled, righting herself and glaring at me. "Stop feeling the need to sneak up on me," she muttered.

"I've only done this once."

"Liar. This is at least the third time by now."

I laughed softly, keeping in mind that Madame Nu wasn't far away. "You're probably right." I studied the files on her screen for a quick moment. "Is this everything you found?"

She sighed. "Pretty much. There's almost nothing about this place."

I nodded. "I didn't find much either. But I'll put everything together for you before you take off, all right?"

I had taken Anali to the Temple Archives to get more information. Master Nu hadn't minded, and Anali's reputation as the Silent Shadow certainly helped. She had, after all, given much aid to the Order during the course of the Clone Wars. And thankfully, no media or press invaded the Temple sanctuary, so I wasn't too worried about her not concealing her face and features from scrutiny, either because they might recognize her as the Silent Shadow or because they might start probing into her private life thinking she was somehow attached to me.

Which she was.

But those vultures didn't need to know that.

Anali stood, shutting off the station. "How was your Council meeting?" she asked as we started walking out of the Jedi Archives. "Did you find the elusive General?"

"We think we have."

"Have fun tracking him down."

"I've no doubt I will," I said dryly.

She glanced around. "I'll be sorry to leave," she said with a rueful sigh. "The Archives were beautiful. And well organized."

I smiled at her as we wove our way towards the hangars. The comment reminded me a much younger, less guarded, and just more _her_, as if the thirteen years had never passed and the Clone Wars had not changed either of us. "Master Nu will be pleased to hear that," I said instead.

"I don't say it for – " Anali started to say.

"Her, I know," I finished. "But – "

"Master Kenobi," called a firm voice from behind us. "Who is this?"

I turned, already sensing in the Force who had stopped us, and inclined my head to Masters Windu and Yoda. Anali, not as quick to understand, whirled around as though to defend herself – blinked in surprise as her eyes fell upon Master Yoda. But at least she retained the grace not to stare as she started to curtsy.

Master Yoda waved away the gesture. "No need for that there is," he said, moving his hoverchair forward.

"Anali, these are Master Windu and Master Yoda," I said. "Masters, this is Anali Yané."

Master Windu nodded slowly as he looked at her. "Welcome to the Temple. We've heard much about you, Silent Shadow," he said.

Anali blinked. "Um . . . Thank you?"

"We've kept a close eye over your exploits," Master Windu explained, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes. "Although certainly we never expected you to appear in the Temple. Were you looking for something in the Archives?"

"Yes. Thankfully, I found it." She cast a teasing glance at me. "Of course, with no help from Master Kenobi here."

"Very funny, Anali."

Master Yoda blinked at her. "Shine brightly in you the Force does," he said cryptically.

"I'm . . . not Force-sensitive, Master Yoda," Anali said slowly, obviously confused. "I don't think – "

"Think not!" Master Yoda exclaimed sharply. "_Listen. Do._ And then find the answers you are seeking to your questions, you will." With another cackle, he moved off, not looking back and leaving Anali even more obviously confused than ever.

"I think," she pronounced deliberately, staring after the aged Master, "that he is very mistaken."

"He's not," Master Windu said thoughtfully. "Can you sense it, Obi-Wan?"

"I always have been able to."

Anali gave us both strange looks. "What am I, an exhibit?" she demanded.

"No, Anali . . . That's not it." I shifted my stance, trying to figure out how to explain this very Jedi-like concept to a non-Jedi. It wasn't easy to find the words. "You don't need to be a Jedi to have a strong presence in the Force, that's all. Master Yoda sensed that. We all do."

"And you are certainly strong in the Force," Master Windu continued. "Not in the same way as a Jedi, but strong. If you listen to it, it will guide you. Don't think; just do. It will guide your actions and your thoughts – if you learn to listen."

After he was gone, Anali raised an eyebrow. "I'm officially lost."

I laughed and took her hand. "Don't worry. It takes everyone a while to learn their way around the Temple."

She flashed me an annoyed look. "I wasn't talking about that."

"I know."

"What did they mean, then?"

I took a moment to organize my thoughts. It was certainly a loaded question and therefore a weighty answer. "The Force is about energy and life," I said finally. "One doesn't need Jedi abilities to be part of the Force; it's in everyone and everywhere. It's just that some shine more strongly than others, and you happen to be one of them."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

I shrugged. "I didn't think you needed to know." Then a new idea occurred to me. "Would you like to see something far less confusing?"

"What is it?"

"Oh, you'll see."

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I was amazed at how quiet the place was. Normally, if you walked into a place with this many kids, it'd be noisy as a market place, or perhaps even worse. But here . . . here you could rock a baby to sleep if you wished. Even though I saw children playing down the hall, they were respectful and just . . . not loud.

It was amazing . . . and a tad creepy, I had to admit. Children weren't meant to be this . . . controlled, this restrained, this _quiet_.

I had the sense not to say that aloud, though. "What is this place?" I asked.

"The crèche," Obi-Wan replied. "It's one of my favorite places in the Temple."

The children stared at us with wide eyes when we entered the room – or rather, stared at me with wide eyes. I was certain they knew Obi-Wan, and sure enough, when the Jedi in charge announced it, it was like permission had been given – and the children charged at him, laughing and talking in a bemused babble that he somehow managed to sort through and respond to.

I shook my head in amazement.

"He's something, isn't he?" the Jedi said quietly at my side. "The children adore him."

"So I see."

"Yes. . . By the way, welcome to the Temple, Silent Shadow."

I blinked. "How did you – "

"I've been around long enough to recognize your signature actions," the Jedi said dryly. "Your grace, your strength, your ability to be so quiet – it's not something just anyone can do. The Jedi do take notice of those like you. And certainly, anyone Master Kenobi takes an interest in is not just anyone either."

I sighed. "I guess my disguise would be worthless here."

"Yes. But don't worry. Most of the children will just treat you as a hero and beg for stories."

"I can see that."

"Would you like to be introduced to the children?"

"If you'd do the honors."

The children were shy at first, but after Obi-Wan sat beside me on the floor, soon they were all over us, begging for stories and bragging shyly about stories of their own. I laughed more there than I had in a long time. The children were just so innocent and beautiful that it was hard _not_ to feel that special connection to them.

I told countless stories, but they only begged for more and I found that I couldn't deny them. And all the while, I could see Obi-Wan smiling out of the corner of my eye.

Barring the bit about my childhood on Naboo and the reason I was on Coruscant now, I told them practically everything else. I told about how I'd captured my first target and handed him in for justice. I told about how I'd once gotten stuck on a swamp planet and had had to fight my way to get back to a way off-planet and to civilization. And I made sure to tell how once the arrival of a Jedi team had saved my butt just in time when I was trying to break a drug ring in the Outer Rim only a few years ago.

Finally, though, it was getting late.

Obi-Wan shifted when I looked at him. "All right, children; the Silent Shadow has to go now," he announced. "It's getting late, anyways – don't you want your dinner?"

The children grumbled, but only for a short while and in the sweet, not annoying way only children can, and they all thanked me politely – enough to remind me just how eerily mature and restrained these children were.

He stood and helped me to my feet as the Jedi in charge thanked him before shooing the last of the children out so they could go get their dinner before settling down for the night.

"They are special children," I said quietly.

Obi-Wan put his hand on my shoulder, smiling. "I know. I spend a lot of time here, when I can. I'm glad you had a good time, anyways."

"Thank you."

"No problem. You'll make a good mother one day, with all the stories you could tell your own children."

That threw me off-guard for a moment. Was he hinting that he wanted to have children with me one day in the future or just making a general comment based on his real opinion of the idea of me being a mother one day?

"Who in the galaxy said I'm planning to have kids?" I shot back. "Besides, they were _special_ children, unlike normal people."

"So . . . all Jedi children are special children?"

"Yes."

"And therefore all Jedi in general are special people, right?"

"In general, yes."

He cast me a teasing frown. "Now, how come you don't say _I'm_ a special person? I was one of those kids once, you know."

"Ah, yes, and I'm sure you gave your teachers daily heart attacks," I said dryly.

"I did not!"

"Sure."

"Well . . . maybe only once a week," he admitted.

I laughed at him, and he scowled playfully at me before he lost it and could only laugh helplessly with me.


	14. Chapter 13

**_Chapter Thirteen_**

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I watched Anakin trot off, feeling mildly surprised at his farewell to me. Usually he wasn't so . . . outspoken to me. He had been, when he was a mere child, but that had quickly changed. He had an open heart, but he rarely revealed it to me.

Then I cleared my throat. "So, you actually came," I said.

I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye and turned just in time to see Anali step out of the shadows, graceful and silent as she was always was. But my heart clenched painfully when I saw how she was full armored and her hair was braided around her head to keep it out of the way. I knew she was ready to take off.

"Of course," she replied teasingly. But there was concern in her eyes too; I could see it.

I turned fully and walked over to her. "How are you?"

"I'm ready." Her eyes strayed to the battleships and battalions. "Where are they sending you two this time?" she asked.

"Where are they sending _me_ this time," I corrected.

Her brown eyes widened. "You're being sent alone?" she said, alarm in her tone.

I took her shoulders. "Hey, easy," I told her. "Relax. I'll be fine. I have more than enough troops to take a system three times the size of Utapau and still have extras. The war will be over before you know it."

The concern didn't leave her eyes. "I'm more worried about how you'll deal with Grievous alone than how you'll take the system," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

She was silent for a moment. "The only things I hear about Grievous are that he's a monster, and that Dooku trained him personally in the Jedi arts. So it doesn't exactly help to know that the Council's sending you _alone_ to deal with him."

"I'll be fine, I promise," I reassured her.

She wasn't too assured, but I didn't have much else to say to her. I mean, what could I really say?

Releasing her shoulders, I dug around in my belt for a moment before producing a datapad. "Here. This has all the data we managed to scrounge up about Bogden."

Anali opened a few files and scanned them quickly to make sure they were the right ones before nodding and shutting it off. "Thank you. This will help." She smiled. "At least I know actually where I'm going for once, although I doubt the trail will end with Bogden. I'll probably have to track them through a few planets more before I get them."

"Be careful," I cautioned. "Bogden is not exactly the best place to visit, you know."

"At least I'm not in a war zone," she said sourly.

I could find no answer to that. I could sense how worried she was, and while in a way it heartened me to know that she still cared for me, it hurt me to see how worried she was. I wanted to reach out and smooth over her concerns, to wipe the frown from her face and see her laugh – but I could not. Not yet. I wasn't going to break her trust and my word like that.

Anali looked down. "I don't mean to be morbid, but . . ."

"It's all right." I reluctantly backed away. "I'm afraid I have to go now."

"Eager for war?" she teased with a half-hearted smile.

"Oh no. But I can't have General Grievous think that I wasn't going to honor him with a duel, now can I?"

She laughed briefly.

I touched her hair lightly, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "Be careful, Anali. For my sake, if no one else's."

She hesitated for a moment before moving forward and hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, grateful she had given me at least one more chance before we parted ways to hold her in my arms and know that at least for this moment in time she was safe.

When she drew back, she said, "Be safe."

"Always." I cracked a smile. "When have I not been?"

"Tease."

I drew her closer again, still reluctant to let her go. "Only for you."

She rested her head on my shoulder, seeming just as reluctant as me to part. But after a moment she murmured, "What happened to 'I have to go now'?"

A lump formed in my throat, and I slowly let her go. "Good-bye, young one," I said regretfully.

Anali looked at me, seemingly startled by my reference to how we had met on Naboo all those years ago. But she recovered quickly. "Good-bye, Jedi-whose-name-I-don't-know," she finished with a small smile.

After a moment of studying her and trying to memorize her, I whirled around and left.

Thank the Force I didn't feel the strange sense of hating good-byes as I had when I had bidden good-bye to Masters Yoda and Windu and to Anakin.

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I vanished into the shadows as Obi-Wan left, but that didn't stop me from watching him go.

His going to Utapau bothered me just as much as the knowledge that Master Yoda was leaving for Kashyyyk. Young I may have been, but I still remembered vividly the sight of the Sith Lord in the hangar on Naboo.

He had been strong, fierce, and downright evil – and equal or more than a match to Obi-Wan and Master Jinn together.

And I knew the basic rule, from eavesdropping on the Jedi briefing _Padmé the day afterwards:_ Always two Sith; no more, no less. And so even if one was dead, there was another one still out there somewhere.

I didn't want to face the second Sith. One Sith had cost a great Jedi Master his life. Another might cost even more – and it seemed like Obi-Wan was right in the front lines for that.

For a moment, I debated on the wisdom of not asking Obi-Wan about it again, but that doubt was quickly crushed. Obi-Wan had more than enough on his plate already, what with Skywalker's appointment to the Council and the very deadly General Grievous being on Utapau and me going off to a strange backwater planet in search of the people who wanted to kill me. I didn't need to add to his worries, for he had more than enough to worry about already.

When his ship took off, I turned and slipped fully into the shadows. It was as easy as breathing now after over nine years of practice.

Carefully, I slunk around in the shadows, careful to stick to the less travelled roads and to avoid crowded areas. However, I did keep my ears open for anything out of the normal; I sometimes picked up interesting bits of information this way.

Unfortunately, the only gossip I heard now was not to my liking.

The first bit was about Padmé and her pregnancy. At this, I slowed and listened somewhat; it was always nice to know what the opposition was saying about the one I had to protect.

" . . . say she's really far along in her pregnancy," an old woman was saying eagerly.

"And the father?" another person questioned.

"No one knows." The old woman chuckled. "She ain't married, though; that much I know for sure. So whoever's the father is probably gonna be in big trouble when this gets found out."

Scowling, I moved on. Unfortunately, though, the old woman was right; Anakin was going to be in a _lot _of trouble if the press or the Jedi Council found out about his marriage to Padmé and that he was the father of her child.

The next bit of gossip wasn't much better. This time, I ended up biting my lip to keep from interfering.

"They say the Jedi are about ready to rebel," came the cautious whisper.

"And overthrow the government?"

"Yep. The Jedi are sore losers, in my opinion. _They_ want control of the government now, and they will do whatever it takes."

"They've lost people too," a new voice cut in. "Remember their losses on Geonosis?"

"Eh, that was nothing," the first person said dismissively. "It was just the first battle, when they still fought for the Republic – for the Chancellor. Now, they just fight to keep their tidy little image clean while around them the war drags on and on and on."

It took a great deal of self-control not to interfere then. There was not a grain of truth in that gossip. The Jedi served; they did not want to be masters. I knew Obi-Wan would gladly forfeit his position as a Jedi General if he had the choice and the war was over. He didn't want to be a hero. And the Council would just as gladly back down from their positions if the war was over. They didn't want to control the Republic; they never had.

Maybe I was being a bit biased there.

But the one thing I knew for certain was that the Jedi, as they were, would never move against the Republic unless there was a clear and good reason.

I was still scowling when I slipped into Padmé's apartment, though.

"Anali?"

"Here."

Padmé walked through the doors onto the veranda, already dressed in her Senatorial garb, and her eyes widened as she took in my attire. "You're taking off?" she asked, disappointment in her tone.

"Yes. I need to find out who was trying to kill you before they strike again."

She sighed. "Then be careful. I doubt I want to tell Obi-Wan that you got hurt."

I chose to ignore that bit. "Padmé, _you_ be careful. I've been listening to the gossip; you can't hide your pregnancy much longer, you know. Soon, people will get curious enough to ask questions – and the answers would not be good for you or him."

"I'll be fine." She shifted. "I've already considered resigning from my post once this is over. Then I can raise the baby without being in the public scene, perhaps as a Senatorial aide."

I turned it over for a minute. It made sense; which her experience and support base, she would have no trouble procuring such a post. And if she didn't, her family was not going to turn her away, especially when she had a child to watch over. She could retire to Naboo in peace and raise the child there.

"It's a good decision, I think," I said finally. "Have you told him?"

"No. He's got enough on his plate as is."

"Don't we all," I said sadly, thinking of Obi-Wan and how much wearier he seemed.

Padmé didn't seem to hear me. "Palpatine and the Council are doing their best to tear him apart. I fear it won't be long until he has to make a choice."

"Hmm. I don't think that will be good."

"No, it won't." She turned her attention back to me. "I want you to promise something, Anali."

"What is it?"

She handed a small communicator to me. "This is programmed to my security system. There's a hidden alert I can trigger if need be; it's silent because it goes to that communicator alone and is virtually undetectable."

"And?"

"And if I trigger the alert, will you come home and find me?"

I tucked the communicator into my belt. "Why in the galaxy's name wouldn't I?"

Her relief showed in her face. "Be safe, Anali. These are dangerous times."

"You be safe. Those times are more for you than me, Senator Amidala," I retorted.

Then I turned and left. My business with Coruscant was done. Now it was time for me to go track down a bounty hunter gang and hopefully solve that mystery before anything else alarming popped up.


	15. Chapter 14

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

~ _Darth Sidious_ ~  
After the doors closed behind my new apprentice, I let out a triumphant cackle. Finally, after all these years and years and years of planning, the Sith were on the verge of victory. Darth Vader would be the key to the revenge the Sith had planned for millennia.

I called security to come and clean up what remained of the Jedi.

They were a nice touch of decoration to the office, but . . . they probably shouldn't stay here. I would have them burned – or perhaps moved to the Jedi Temple after my apprentice was done with it.

Then I moved into a private room. After all this time, my victory was at hand.

Quickly, I triggered the holoprojector. _Now, which Jedi should I order the destruction for first?_ I wondered.

Mace Windu was dead; I didn't have to worry about him.

The little green troll, perhaps? Oh, no, perhaps not. Let the Wookies destroy the army first so I wouldn't have to do it myself.

Luminara Unduli? She had caused me no end of grief on Ansion. But no, no; she was stationed with the troll – if anything happened to her, he would sense it.

A feral grin lit my face when I selected the best choice – for me, anyways.

_ Ah, yes, why didn't I think of this sooner? The annoying, bothersome, unshakeable Jedi Master who keeps interfering with my plans and popping up at the most inconvenient of times – I guess now it is time for _you_ to finally be silenced. Once and for all. Permanently._

I made the connection. "Commander Cody. The time has come," I said gravely. "Execute Order 66."

The clone inclined his head. "It will be done, my Lord."

I closed down the projection. I didn't need to see what they would do. These clones had been programmed since before birth to follow this particular order. And they would follow through with their normal competence. They were basically, and in the most efficient way, cold-blooded killers in that sense.

The Jedi would never see it coming.

Tonight, the Jedi Temple would burn.

Tonight, the Jedi Order would finally be destroyed.

Tonight, Obi-Wan Kenobi would finally breathe his last on Utapau.


	16. Chapter 15

**_Chapter Fifteen_**

~ _Anali Yané _~  
I felt exhausted as I crossed the threshold into my apartment. Only two to three days had passed since I had left Coruscant to scout out Bogden for the attackers, but the days had still managed to take the maximum toll on me. And the sights I had seen upon my return to Coruscant, which usually soothed and comforted me, this time hadn't eased my burden the least bit.

The burning, smoking Temple.

The lack of Jedi starfighters in the skies.

The whispers and the gossips that revolved around the Chancellor, the war – and the Jedi.

Everything did not bode well, for this war, for the Republic, or for the Jedi Order. Something had happened in my absence – a great and terrible upheaval with devastating consequences. Something was very, very wrong.

I could feel it.

And when I ran a basic search for the newest news updates on the Holonet, I had my confirmation.

The headlines jumped out at me.

**Jedi Order Tries To Overthrown Government, Fails**

** Supreme Chancellor Survives Jedi Assassination Attempt**

** Republic Transformed Into Galactic Empire By Order Of The Emperor**

** All Jedi Declared Traitors**

I stared for a long time at the last headline. "Oh my stars," I whispered hoarsely. Inside, I felt an overwhelming urge to scream, to cry, to shout that this couldn't be right. The Jedi would never have betrayed the Republic or tried to assassinate anyone, much less the Supreme Chancellor.

Right?

I shut it off and collapsed into my chair. _Oh my stars, what am I going to tell Padmé? Her husband is now considered a traitor by the Republic. . . And she was a supporter of the Jedi. . . Oh my stars. . ._

Then a new thought entered my mind and I sat bolt upright. _Obi-Wan!_ He couldn't be a traitor, he just couldn't!

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement – but as I started turning, hand on my blaster, a voice spoke out of the shadows as a person emerged.

"Anali."

I started. The person entered my line of sight, shielded by the darkness of the night and the dark brown robe he or she wore. Slowly, he or she lifted the hood and let it fall down, stepping closer into the dim light so I could see the face. . .

It was Obi-Wan.

I ran to him and flung my arms around him. "Oh thank the stars," I said. "I thought – "

He shook his head. "They haven't found me yet. . . I'm sorry, but I need help and there's no where else I can go. . . If the Empire – "

"I don't care!"

"You'll be in danger with me here," he warned, but his arms tightened around me all the same.

"I don't care, Obi-Wan."

After a long moment, I felt my tears of relief subside and he guided me over the bed so we could sit. But he still held me, more gently now, but still holding and supporting. And for that I was grateful – I was still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that he was safe and real and here.

Finally, I pulled back and scanned his face. If I had thought he had looked tired before, now he looked exhausted. Almost gaunt, actually, and there were new lines of worry in his face.

"Are you okay? How did you escape? What's going on?"

He stroked my hair, sighing. "I'm fine. . . As to escaping, I think it's better left unsaid. And as to what's going on . . . I don't know if you want to know."

"Just tell me. Please."

He looked at me, his eyes grave. "Are you sure?"

I rested my head against his neck, closing my eyes. He felt real, and alive. But then again, so did all of my dreams. "It'll be the only thing that tells me I'm not dreaming."

He swallowed, and I knew that it was going to be difficult for him to speak and just as difficult not to. On one hand, he wanted to protect me from . . . from whoever was hunting him, and to do that was to make sure there was no way they could draw a connection between us. On the other hand, he knew it would be just as dangerous for me if I didn't know and wasn't able to protect myself if they decided to go after me anyways.

Finally, he made his choice.

"You asked me," he began, "what the Sith were. Do you remember?"

"I remember," I murmured.

"And I didn't answer. The Sith are . . . basically our worst enemy. They are the embodiment of everything the Jedi oppose – greed, rage, hate, lust for power. And for a time, we thought they were finished. But then . . ."

"But then Qui-Gon died, and you knew they were back." I pulled away so I could look at him again. "Didn't you?"

He blinked. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I was a handmaiden, Obi-Wan. I saw the battle. And I knew."

"Everything?"

"Well, no. But I knew enough. But what do the Sith have to do with whatever happened to you?"

He looked away. "We thought they were gone. Then we realized they weren't. Ever since the war began, we've been searching for the second one – the master. Dooku was merely the apprentice; I can see that now. And the master . . . he played us so well. And now, all the children in the Temple have paid for it."

"Who is he?"

"You're not going to believe me."

"If I didn't, I would have already turned you in to the Empire," I said darkly.

Obi-Wan flinched. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to know _that_ much. But even so, he was still silent for a long moment as he debated. "He's Palpatine."

"Palpatine? The Supreme Chancellor?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yes." He leaned forward. "Can't you see? He was the master on the Republic's side _and_ on the Separatists. He played us for fools – all of us. The Jedi Temple is gone now, and I bet the Separatist Council won't last for much longer."

He hesitated then, his eyes full of questions. "Are you . . . Do you believe me?"

I was quiet, trying to put everything together. But Obi-Wan's words fit – they fit so well. It was a fog was lifting from my mind, and everything was suddenly making sense. Perfect and perfectly horrible sense.

"Yes. Was . . . Was one of the names of the Sith Darth Sidious?" I asked with effort.

He frowned instantly, seemingly torn between worry and alarm. "Where did you hear that name?"

"Obi-Wan, just answer me."

"Yes."

I sighed. "Great. The group that I tracked – they said they were paid by a guy named Sidious through a guy named Tyranus."

He stiffened, his arms tightening around me. "Sith names," he spat darkly.

"I guess so," I said, startled by the strength of his reaction. But then again, he had said that he had romantic feelings for me, and if the Sith were as dangerous as I remembered and he was considering them being close to me . . . maybe it made sense. "And the Jedi?"

"We've been declared traitors. All clone troopers are now hunting us down. Mostly everyone was ambushed." He paused, and his voice shook slightly as he murmured, "Most of us did not survive."

_Thank the Force _you_ did_, I thought fervently. _Otherwise you would have died thinking I would hate you for being a traitor. . ._

"Obi-Wan?"

"Yes?"

"There's one thing I don't understand. Two things, actually."

He glanced down at me. "What is it?"

"There's always supposed to be two Sith, right?" At his nod, I continued hesitantly, "So if Palpatine . . . Sidious is one, who's the other one?"

Obi-Wan stiffened. "Vader. Darth Vader." He said the name in a strange way – as if it was a curse that at once blistered his lips and brought about a sense of regret. Yes, it was a very strange way to say a name.

"He was the one to destroy the Temple, right?"

He didn't answer.

"Who _is_ he, then? And why do you need my help, exactly?"

After a long moment, Obi-Wan sighed and pushed me away. I blinked in surprise, but I shifted away obediently. Even though I could barely see his face, I got the feeling that he was regretting every minute of this – and bitterly regretting whatever he was going to ask me to do.

"Darth Vader is Anakin Skywalker, Anali."

"You're kidding, right?" was all I could manage to say three minutes later.

But Obi-Wan's expression didn't change.

"No, he can't be . . . Anakin wouldn't kill the children, the younglings. . . He loved the Temple – it was his home – _those were his friends_!" I backed away from Obi-Wan. "Tell me you're joking or lying. Please tell me that."

"Anali," he said brokenly, reaching for me.

I shoved away his hand. "No! It can't be true! You're lying, Obi-Wan Kenobi, so get out!"

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
Anali huddled in a little ball of denial at the edge of the bed, refusing to believe me. With my Jedi senses, I could sense her confusion and anger and grief in the Force – and I could hear the soft sobs she tried to cover.

That broke my heart.

I knew she wasn't crying for Anakin. She was crying for the slain children that she had befriended so quickly and cared for so dearly.

But it didn't make it any easier to hear the one I loved sobbing.

After a long moment, when I reached for her, she didn't resist. She merely crawled into my embrace and pressed herself against me. Her body still trembled with silent sobs, but I knew that it was more of the fact that she had accepted and therefore was mourning the fact than denying it. It did not really lessen the pain, but I tried, for her sake, to pretend that it helped.

I held her in silence. Any more talking might do more harm than good.

Finally, she whispered, "I can't believe that."

But we both knew she was saying it more to try and convince herself than to say the truth. I knew that she knew that everything just made too much sense now – now that the _real_ truths were out. She believed me.

Of course, that didn't ease the pain.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry to involve you with this. But . . . But I can't do this alone. I'm so sorry."

She shook her head against my chest. "What do you want me to do?"

"Padmé. She knows where Anakin . . . where Vader is. I need to find him. But she will not tell me where he is."

Anali was silent, her eyes turning unreadable at the mention of her employer and friend. I could sense that she was caught between us, not wanting to lose either of us and knowing that we each had valid points in this arugment. Finally, she drew back and looked at me. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

I looked down, but I could find no wisdom to speak to her now. I could only repeat the wretched words I had told Padmé: "He has become a very great threat. I . . . I have no choice. Not anymore."

"Obi-Wan?"

I looked back at her, and I saw a measure of compassion in her gaze. "I'm sorry."

I pulled her back to me. _If it keeps you safe, don't be sorry for it._ Duty was only one of the reasons that had me going up against Ana – against Vader.

"I will help you," Anali said finally.

"Thank you." I took a deep breath. "Padmé knows where Anakin is; I'm sure of it. But she won't tell me. Could you ask her?"

She shook her head. "That won't work. It's too suspicious. She knows we are friends, remember? And she knows you survived. Her first assumption will be that you would go to me if you failed with her. Besides, I've got a better idea."

"Which is?"

"Padmé should contact me soon to ask for my help. You can sneak along, I guess."

I sighed. "I guess I'm the tag-along again."

"And, Obi-Wan?"

"Yes?"

"When did you last take a shower?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

I groaned and stood up. "All right, all right; I get the hint."

"Then get going, stinking Jedi," she said with a faint smile. "I'll call you when Padmé . . . when it's time to go."

I touched her cheek. "I'm sorry to drag you into this," I said softly.

She held my hand against her cheek for a moment, her brown eyes a plea in and of themselves. "Don't make it all for nothing, Obi-Wan – please."

I knew she wasn't talking about failing to kill Ana – Vader.


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry for the week-late update; as everyone has probably found out, Fanfiction is having some issues with letting us reach our stories due to some site errors. I did find a way around the error, so I can post regularly now, so, my apologies!

* * *

**_Chapter Sixteen_**

~ _Padmé Amidala _~  
When we entered the cockpit, we both started in surprise to see a cloaked, hooded, and armored woman leaning against the wall, arms crossed, head turned our way as though she had been waiting for us the entire time.

"Oh my! Miss Padmé, are you sure that this was a wise decision?" the droid exclaimed, jerking backwards in fear and surprise.

"It's all right," I reassured the droid, moving forward.

The woman raised her hand and let the hood fall back to reveal her face.

It was Anali.

She held up the communicator. "You called?"

It was more a statement than a question, though, and I heard a tinge of sadness in her voice as she tossed the thing back to me.

"Thank you for coming."

I wasn't surprised that she had managed to sneak on to the ship before me; my ship wasn't closely watched and she was good at sneaking around anyways. Besides, it was better that the Captain didn't know I was taking someone else along with me. Right now, it was best to make a small a scene as possible. Perhaps especially right now.

Anali sighed. "You concentrate on getting the coordinates set to wherever we're going. I'll power the ship up and do the take-off procedures."

"Thank you."

I watched as she examined the control panel briefly before starting to flick controls and switches. I was slightly surprised; she had flown this ship before, and although not recently, surely she wouldn't need to examine the panel again for a closer look. . . But then again, Anali had always been thorough and was probably just making sure everything was all right, something I appreciated.

After we were out of the atmosphere, Anali sat down and glanced at me with a troubled look. "Are you okay, Padmé?"

"Yes. But I need to do this."

She was quiet. "Does this have anything to do with Anakin?"

At that, I didn't answer. Once again, she had proved to be far more perceptive than I had thought.

"I'll take that as a yes," she decided. "Can I know where we're going?"

"Mustafar," I said shortly.

She blinked. "Mustafar? We're going to Mustafar? That's . . . Why, that's . . . pretty far from Coruscant. A volcanic, hot, and dangerous planet, if my memory serves me correctly." She shook her head slowly with another sigh. "You pick the strangest of places to go, Senator – first Tatooine, and then Geonosis, and now Mustafar."

There was silence, and then Anali spoke again.

"Padmé?"

"Yes?"

"How are you holding up?"

I hesitated at that, and I felt my hand shake on the hyperspace throttle even though the navicomputer was still processing the coordinates and we weren't about to take off just yet.

Anali was perceptive. Very perceptive.

I decided to tell the truth.

Hopefully, she would understand. Hopefully.

"Obi-Wan told me . . . horrible things. I have to sort this out. I _have_ to see him, and I'm sorry if . . . if you end up danger."

She blinked in surprise, her eyes widening. "Obi-Wan's alive?" Her voice contained a measure of restrained hope and uncontained surprise, as if she was almost too frightened to believe my words even though she was dying to know he was safe.

"Yes, he . . ." I turned fully to face her and felt my eyes narrow as her words registered. "He didn't come to see you?"

"I thought he was dead."

"He's not," I said.

Anali's eyes closed briefly. "Are there any other survivors?" she asked after a moment, opening her eyes again. "Besides Anakin, of course."

"Not that I know of."

She turned away, but I caught the flash of anguish and concern on her face. No doubt she was just as worried about Obi-Wan as I was about Anakin. "Was Obi-Wan all right?"

"He seemed to be."

"Thank the stars," she whispered.

I studied her face – the mix of relief and hope and fear, and a powerful mix at that. "You really love him like he loves you, don't you, Anali?" I said quietly. "I can see it in your face."

"If he did, he would have come to me to let me know he wasn't dead," she stated tartly, wiping her eyes with a quick sweep of her hand as she turned back to me and regained her normal impassive expression.

"Maybe he didn't want you to be tied to him if he got into trouble," I suggested. It was true too; if Obi-Wan thought she would be in danger, he would leave her in the dark.

I heard her sigh. "I wish he could have given me some sort of sign or message, though."

I didn't reply to that. Guilt was filling me. Here I was, carrying Anakin's child, having clearly broken the rules and knowing what Anakin might have done to the Jedi Temple, _to the children_ – next to Anali, who loved Obi-Wan just as much as I loved Anakin and yet she suffered even though she had not broken the rules. She'd managed to stop, to hold back, to protect him. I had not. Yet she was suffering _more_, it seemed, not less.

It made me wonder what might have happened had I turned Anakin down. If I had not married him. If I didn't carry his child.

And it made me wonder if Obi-Wan was looking for Anali now.

_Where are you?_ I thought. _And why did you go to me instead of the one you love? Anakin managed to come to me; why couldn't you have gone to Anali and stop her from grieving over your supposed death?_

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. We were in hyperspace now; there was nothing to do but wait. And we were done talking.

I tried to fight off the vestiges of guilt. I was deliberately deceiving Padmé, breaking my vow as a handmaiden, and if that wasn't enough, I was also bringing along a Jedi whose sole purpose here was to kill Padmé's beloved husband and the father of her child.

The knowledge of what Anakin had done should have helped me, but it didn't. Try as Padmé and I might, we just couldn't picture how terrible the deed was. For one thing, we hadn't seen it and so we just couldn't wrap our minds around it. For another, we weren't Jedi; we had not, as Obi-Wan had, felt each death of his fellow Jedi brothers and sisters in the Force.

In truth, I knew that the only reason I had helped Obi-Wan was because of my own feelings for him.

Not for Padmé.

Not for Anakin.

And certainly not for justice.

Just because Obi-Wan asked me, and I loved him, and I didn't want anything to hurt him.

It wasn't quite the best reason. But it was all I had, and it was the truth.

Not that it really did me any good, though. It just told me that my judgment was clouded by my love for him. And therefore, also my actions.

I didn't really care, though. We were going to see an extremely dangerous murderer who had a temper tantrum issue. If somehow Anakin got riled and starting doing whatever Force tricks he had up his sleeve, Obi-Wan might be our only chance, because even my skills would not hold back an angry Jedi.

Just as we were _his_ only chance to finding Anakin.

Privately, though, I was still wondering how this would work out.

Obi-Wan was a great Jedi, but his skills lay more in negotiation and strategy than battle. Anakin was the one who did best on the battlefield, with his flair for the dramatic and uncanny ability to do normally impossible things and yet not get hurt doing them. Obi-Wan had destroyed General Grievous, yes, but Grievous had been his enemy. Anakin, despite the fact that he was now a Sith and had killed all of those people and needed to be stopped, was still Obi-Wan's best friend, his brother in arms, his sworn comrade.

In other words, I didn't know if Obi-Wan could do it.

And I didn't know – by some miracle he managed to get the upper hand – if Obi-Wan _would_ do it.

I hadn't mentioned this to Obi-Wan. I didn't think he needed to know that I doubted him.

Unfortunately, I did, though.

One of the reasons I loved Obi-Wan was his compassion, a trait he had despite the fact that the Jedi discouraged attachment. He was not perfect with his sympathy, but he was better than most and quite enough for me.

Now, of course, his compassion for his former apprentice might be his downfall.

But if Anakin killed Obi-Wan, then I'd know it was too late for Anakin. And perhaps then I could believe just how much damage he had done.

And I'd know that – no matter what Obi-Wan had cautioned me about staying safe for his sake or about hatred being an emotion that drained you more than anything – I would hate and oppose Darth Vader for the rest of my life.

Even if it meant siding against Padmé.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I closed my eyes and reached out with the Force. Anali had given me plenty of time to sneak aboard and find a suitable hiding spot; that much I owed her. Now all I wanted to know was where we were going. . .

And then the Force swelled as I sensed Anali's mind dwell on something – purposely.

She knew I was there. Was she sending me a signal of some sort?

The name floated into my mind the second I focused on her. _Mustafar._ The connection faltered momentarily as she thought of something else, but then it resumed. _Mustafar_, she was saying, out loud and in her mind. _We're going to Mustafar. That's . . . Why, that's . . . pretty far from Coruscant. A volcanic, hot, and dangerous planet, if my memory serves me correctly. . ._

I pulled away from Anali's mind. I had learned what I needed to.

Now, all I could was wait until we landed and see if Padmé actually had been told the truth about where Anakin was . . . or if this was all just a wild bantha chase.

I kind of hoped it was a wild bantha chase.

Because I didn't want Anali anywhere near the real thing.

But if Vader dragged her into this . . . then he would learn the true strength love could bring to bear.

And he would learn it from me.


	18. Chapter 17

**_Chapter Seventeen_**

~ _Anali Yané _~  
We encountered no resistance as we came in to Mustafar. That surprised me – but then again, perhaps Anakin had already dealt with the security systems that were supposed to be in place. Well, actually, more like probably he had already dealt with the security.

When we landed, Padmé immediately triggered the beginning stages to drop the landing ramp. But to my surprise, she didn't move. She simply leaned over the panel as her eyes welled up with tears and she stared straight ahead, almost as if she was . . . remembering. Recalling something she feared lost forever, something she desperately wanted to hold on to no matter what, something she wished had lasted forever.

I didn't say anything.

Then we both saw the dark-clad form of a person come running across on the other side, and Padmé snapped out of it. Seconds later, she was out of the ship.

I sighed and reached for the controls. Quickly, I fired up the engines and the navicomputer, just in case we had to make a quick getaway. I also triggered the shields, to protect against a possible . . . well, hopefully Anakin wouldn't be foolish enough to try and stab the ship with his lightsaber.

Then I stood and slowly made my way to the landing ramp. Hopefully, Anakin wouldn't care that I was here –

A strong hand clamped over my mouth as an arm yanked me backwards.

I was so surprised and the attack was so unexpected that for a moment I forgot to struggle. Then I did – but as I did, I slammed into a living wall of a chest.

"Anali, it's me, relax!" Obi-Wan said urgently in my ear.

I sighed as he took away his hand. "Was that really necessary?" I demanded sourly, turning around to face him.

He shrugged. "I didn't want you going out there," he explained shortly. "Anakin's probably unhappy enough that Padmé's out here; he doesn't need to know you're here."

"What about you?"

His eyes darkened. "Don't go out there."

I sighed again and leaned against him, relishing the warmth and the security and the love of our embrace as he wrapped his arms around me. If Padmé felt this every time Anakin held her, I could almost understand why she had gone forward and married him.

Almost.

"You should go into acting," Obi-Wan said suddenly.

"What?"

"You put on a great act. I could have almost believed I was dead, had I been watching your performance," he continued, grinning down at me.

I pulled away, mortified. "You were listening?"

"The whole time."

"Obi-Wan, I didn't mean – "

He pressed his fingers against my lips. "I know," he said softly. And then a mischievous grin unfurled across his face. "But it is nice to know that in order to prove I love you, I have to show up and prove I'm not dead every time I get into one of those scrapes or something. Should be handy next time I trot off to – "

"Cut it out, will you?"

He laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Well, use that famous Jedi self-control and resist it."

"Sorry," he said again.

I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat – and wondering if I'd ever hear it again. "Obi-Wan?"

"Yes?" he murmured.

"Can you do this?"

He was silent for a while. "I don't know. I hope so. For the galaxy's sake, anyways."

I looked up. I had to admit, he was excellent at evading my questions, and usually it wouldn't be worth the fight. But with his life at stake, I figured it was time to push for an answer. "And what about _your_ sake?"

"I don't know," he repeated with a sigh. "I just don't know."

I forced a nervous swallow down my throat before it could rise. I didn't like this. At all. But I was much too proud to ask him to, for my sake, fly away, to leave this place behind, to be with me. He couldn't. He wouldn't. He was a Jedi, and he followed his duty.

That was why I loved him, after all.

"Obi-Wan?" Stars, even my voice was shaky now.

He looked down, his blue-green eyes soft. "Yes?"

"I think . . . if we ever . . . if we ever . . . you know . . . get out of this . . ."

He frowned slightly in concern. "What is it, Anali?"

I couldn't talk. Not anymore. I couldn't bring myself to admit the fact that he might die. I didn't want to think about it. Ever.

So I just tugged his head down and let my kiss speak for itself.

It was just like before, except perhaps a tad more desperate. I could feel his surprise at my action, and then his acceptance, and then how he returned it. His arms tightened around me briefly as he deepened our kiss, letting me know he understood – but he still loved me anyways and would die loving me, if that was fate had in store for him.

When we broke apart, he loosened his hold. "Anali," he said, his voice hushed, "are you sure about this?"

"As sure as I've been about anything," I murmured, leaning forward again.

He stopped me, gently. "Anali, listen to me. If I don't . . . If you find someone else . . . someone better . . . sometime in the future . . . don't reject them because of me."

I stared at him for a while before understanding set in. "If you're asking me to forget you – forget everything because a new guy flashes his muscles at me and bats his eyes, you're not getting my word," I said flatly. "So drop it, Obi-Wan."

"I'm asking you to consider it," he said softly.

"Well, I won't."

He sighed and brushed his lips over mine. "At least know you have the option, then."

"Not happening. Ever."

He cracked a small smile. "Stubborn."

"Hey, you admitted it first," I pointed out.

He stroked my hair and kissed me again. "And I wouldn't have had it any other way," he murmured quietly, eyes filled with amusement and affection. Then he turned serious, his embrace around me actually tightening as his eyes gazed seriously into mine. "Stay here, Anali. Do not reveal yourself – no matter what happens."

"But – "

"_Anali_," he said, his tone full of warning.

I dropped my head.

He sighed and tilted my chin so that our eyes met. "Wait for me. Or . . . wait for Padmé," he added belatedly.

That didn't help things at all.

But it was too late.

Obi-Wan turned and made his way to the landing ramp – and left me behind.

~ _Anakin Skywalker_ ~  
"Liar!" I screamed at Padmé.

She whirled – and saw Obi-Wan Kenobi standing at the top of the landing ramp.

She tried to say something, but it was too late; I already knew. I already knew everything. I _knew_.

And now she was going to pay for it.

"You've betrayed me!" I screamed. "You brought him here to _kill me_!"

Red tinted my vision. Padmé, the one person I had thought would _understand_, would stand by me, had betrayed me. Had brought Obi-Wan here. Had brought him here to kill me.

_Palpatine was right. It is the ones we love most who are the ones about which we are most mistaken._

Well, I wasn't about to let that _mistake_ continue.

Padmé choked as I brought my hand up. It was hardly any effort at all to use the Force to seal her airway, even though I had never done it before. Just one flick, and her throat closed, and she fought to breathe. Her hands were around her throat – little good they could do. I was the most powerful person alive; she had no hope to fight me off.

"Let her go, Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouted. "_Let – her – go!_"

After a moment, I glanced at her and let her go. I couldn't kill her, after all, just punish her. Now seemed about the right time to let go before I did any permanent damage.

Padmé fell like a limp ragdoll whose strings had been cut. But her life still burned within her; I could feel it.

She had betrayed me, yes. But I still needed her.

Besides, I had a bigger and far more offensive target now: Obi-Wan Kenobi.

I turned to him. "You turned her against me!" I hurled the accusation easily; the conclusion was so obvious.

"You have done that yourself!" he retorted.

_Such a weak defense. He's lying! I should crush his windpipe now too – just one pinch. . . But no. He will suffer for this. He will _pay_. He will burn in the fires and learn what rage means, what _power_ means! And where the power lies – which is with _me_!_

"You will not take her from me!" I shot back, pacing in front of her protectively.

"Your anger and your lust for power have already – "

"_Padmé!_" came the scream.

Obi-Wan and I both whirled around at the same time that a young woman came dashing down the ramp. She was young, and she wasn't a Jedi. She looked a lot like Padmé, actually – brown eyes, long brown hair. Who was she?

I got my answer moments later when Obi-Wan lunged forward in a failed grab.

"Anali, don't!" he shouted, helplessness and fear in his expression.

So. This woman actually meant something to him.

But she ignored him, running to Padmé's side and falling to her knees, frantically checking her vitals.

I shifted towards her, but the second I did so, I heard the _snap-hiss_ of an activated lightsaber.

Obi-Wan.

There was pure emotion in his gaze – so pure that it almost shocked me. I had never seen an emotion manifest so clearly, so powerfully, so dangerously outside of his Jedi facade. He had tensed, and I could see that if I took even a tiny little step towards her, he would move to defend her.

No matter what the cost.

So I stayed. It wasn't like she could actually _hurt_ Padmé. If she did . . . well, then I'd have a perfect excuse to destroy her.

The woman's head dropped, and I heard a tiny sob. Then she rose slowly and faced me. Her brown eyes were blazing with anger and hatred, so much so that I actually took a step back. She looked so much like Padmé – and yet, at the same time, so not.

Padmé had never looked at me like this.

"What have you done?" the woman hissed. "What have you _done_?"

I backed up another step as she approached.

"You idiot! She loved you! She did everything for _you_!" the woman shrieked, anger coloring every syllable. "She's the mother of your child, and _you're killing her_!"

_I'm not killing her!_

That thought was enough to provoke a response.

"She betrayed me!" I yelled. "She brought _him_ here to kill me!"

"She never even knew he was there!" the woman shouted, advancing even more. "Obi-Wan came because of _me_!"

At this point, she was so close that I could almost feel each of her breaths.

Then she raised her hand and slapped me so hard across the face that I saw stars.


	19. Chapter 18

**_Chapter Eighteen_**

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
The slap knocked Anakin off-balance.

I was stunned, and apparently so was he, by her action. He could have easily blocked it – but he hadn't. He had let Anali hit him, because he had not expected her to hit so hard. And from the sound of it, she had hit him pretty hard.

But when Anali drew back for a second slap, he seized her arm and twisted hard, flipping her over and shoving her away.

I was by her side in a second, sheathing my lightsaber so that I didn't accidentally stab her. "Anali, are – are you all right?" I asked worriedly.

She rubbed her wrist sourly. "Pretty much."

I touched her wrist lightly, and she winced. "I'll help you with that later," I decided. My first concern was getting her out of danger.

And then we both turned to the most amazing sight.

Anakin was no longer looming over us, yellow eyes full of fury. No, he was halfway across the landing strip, cradling the unconscious Padmé in his arms and crying her name over and over again, begging for forgiveness.

Anali started to rise, but I put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait a minute," I told her. "And actually stay this time."

She sighed, but there was more concern than defiance in her eyes.

Slowly, I stood up and made my way over to Anakin. He made no gesture to indicate he knew I was there, although I was sure he knew. I stopped a short distance away from him; I didn't want to end up being the target for his anger if he sensed me and decided to take his rage out on me.

Therefore, I was very surprised when he turned, still holding Padmé, and choked out, "Help me, Obi-Wan, please."

For a moment, I did nothing. Then Anali slipped past me and felt for Padmé's pulse. I watched Anakin carefully, but he didn't seem to have any negative feelings towards her; if anything, he was watching her anxiously as though he hoped she would have the solution that would make everything right and help Padmé.

"We'd better get her to a medcenter," Anali murmured, standing. "And quickly."

Anakin immediately stood and carried Padmé aboard.

I grabbed Anali's shoulder as she passed me. "What happened to _staying put_?" I demanded quietly.

She rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Kenobi."

I sighed. "C-3PO and I will get the ship going. You get some sleep," I said tiredly. "Assuming that you actually listen to me this time."

Anali laughed lightly and kissed me on the cheek before darting onboard.

Thankfully, when I entered the cockpit, Anali wasn't there. _So she actually listened to me. Amazing._ Then another thought occurred to me and I sighed again. _Or she's caring for Padmé with Anakin._

Getting the ship into hyperspace took a very short time. Senator Organa had sent the coordinates of the hide-out he had chosen, and it was a simple matter to plug them in and hit the engines. Now I could only hope that they had at least some form of a medcenter for Padmé. Anakin and I weren't healers, after all, and there was little we could do with the Force without risking making things worse. _Hopefully Master Yoda will have some ideas._

I heard a noise from behind – footsteps. "Anali," I muttered. "Anali, what did I say about – "

"She's sleeping . . . Master."

I whirled around, startled. It was _Anakin_ who had come, not Anali. And he was kneeling on the floor facing me, regret in every feature of his countenance.

"Anakin, what – "

"I'm here to apologize," he said simply. "You were right; I was tricked. I let my desire for power and my fear blind me to the truth. And I did . . . the most horrible things. I'm so sorry – for everything."

I knelt on the floor in front of him. "Not for everything," I corrected gently. "I was at fault too. I shouldn't have stopped you from seeing your mother when you saw those visions; I should have let you go. And I shouldn't have been so blind to what you needed; I should have done more for you. I was wrong to treat you like you were a younger me. I should have . . . listened to you. A lot more."

He grinned hesitantly. "Back to the old times, then?"

I returned the grin. "Well, we _were_ both wrong. But I think your admission is a tad more humbling and therefore more embarrassing. I can't wait until I tell Padmé."

"Hey! That's blackmail, Obi-Wan!"

"Yes. And?"

A mischievous light lit his blue eyes. "Then I'm afraid _my_ tongue might slip about the time you fell into the nest of gundarks to Anali."

"Oh no you don't!"

"Oh yes I will!"

"Will you children quit arguing and help me out?" Anali demanded, appearing in the door to glare at us both.

"Sorry, Mother," we both said.

"Males," she muttered as she stalked away.

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I was startled awake by the sensation of the bed dipping below someone's weight. Then lips brushed over mine, and I knew exactly who it was. Turning over, I slipped my arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a better kiss.

Obi-Wan chuckled warmly when I released him. "What did I say about sleeping?"

"You're back. And you woke me up. So it's your fault," I said smugly, yawning as I nestled against him.

"I guess." He sighed, his mood shifting back to seriousness. "How is your wrist?"

"Fine."

"Hmm. Let me see."

I grumbled, but I let him sit up and take my wrist in his hands. He examined it briefly before running his fingers around it.

"Does it hurt?"

"No – ouch!" I tried to pull my wrist away as pain flashed through it, but his fingers tightened over my hand and wouldn't let go. "What did you do?"

"Yes, I thought _that_ might hurt," Obi-Wan murmured, a trace of smugness in his tone. He closed his eyes, and I sensed him concentrate. Then the pain dimmed completely. He opened his eyes. "Better?" he asked.

I yanked my wrist away. "You know, you wouldn't have had to do that if you hadn't twisted it further."

He laughed as he enfolded me in his arms again. "Probably," he admitted. "But at least now I know for certain that it's fully healed."

"At my cost."

"Yes, well, if you hadn't been the one to disobey my order to stay on the ship, this wouldn't have happened, now would it?"

I pressed my head into the hollow of his throat, remembering how close they had gotten to fighting – and how close I had gotten to losing him. "And if I hadn't interfered, one of you would be dead by now," I pointed out darkly.

He was silent at that. Then he shifted, and I felt his lips against my hair. "You're right," he conceded with an unhappy sigh.

"Why were you two arguing anyways?"

"Oh, just an old argument."

"Uh-huh," I said sarcastically, raising my eyebrow as I looked at him.

He shifted nervously under my gaze, his blue-green eyes suddenly reminding me of a child caught in a naughty deed. "Just a little something . . . about blackmail," he muttered.

I giggled.

"What?"

"It's funny to see you so nervous and at a loss for words."

He tugged my hair gently. "Very funny, Anali." But his reprimand had no sting, and I knew he was just kidding.

"Where are we going now?"

He shrugged. "To wherever Senator Organa set up. And hopefully Master Yoda succeeded."

"He's alive?"

"It'd take more than an ambush to kill him."

"True. Let me guess – his task was to take out Sidious." The name was flowing better and better off of my tongue; perhaps already my opinion was turning against the Sith Master/imposter Chancellor more quickly than I'd thought it would.

"And what if I said you were wrong?" he teased.

"Then _I_ would say _you_ were lying," I shot back.

"You got me there."

At that moment, I tried as best I could to stifle my yawn – but it was too late. Obi-Wan looked at me, one eyebrow raised, and I sighed.

"Fine, fine," I muttered. I lay back down on the bed, closing my eyes.

He chuckled at my tone, tracing one hand gently over my hair. "Are you comfortable?"

"Hmm." I opened one eye to look at him, grinning mischievously. "I could be _more_ comfortable, though. . ."

He sighed and shook his head in gentle exasperation. "Minx," he chided lightly. But he grinned as he spoke, and within minutes he was done shedding his cloak and boots. Then he slipped into the bed next to me, pulling me close to him.

I rolled over, settling into his arms, and sighed contentedly. "Told you."

"Hush," he murmured, brushing the hair from my shoulders and forehead. "Go to sleep."

I rested my head against his chest as his arms tightened around me. Silence fell between us, but it was a comfortable silence. He had offered his heart to me, and now I had accepted it and given him my own. That was all we needed. Our relationship was built more on affection and quiet understanding and trust than on constant chatter.

Between the steady pound of his heart and the soft whisper of his breath, I found myself falling asleep faster than I ever had.

That wasn't too surprising, though. With him, I felt safe, relaxed, not a worry in the world. What was there to really hinder me from sleeping?

Well, actually . . . there was one thing.

"Obi-Wan?" I asked tentatively.

"Yes?"

"Do you think we'll get there in time for . . ."

Thankfully, he understood immediately. But instead of answering immediately, he simply sighed.

"I don't know," he said quietly. "I hope so."

And with that, of course, my prospect for sleeping was completely gone. Miserable, I rested my head on his chest again. As if he sensed my unease – which he most likely did – he let his hand caress my hair gently and soothingly, trying to remind me he was still there if I needed him.

I was grateful for that.

But that wasn't going to be enough to save Padmé.

Unfortunately, I wasn't in a much better position than Obi-Wan. Like him, I too could only hope we could get there in time.


	20. Chapter 19

**_Chapter Nineteen_**

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
When the droid appeared at the window, Anakin didn't stop pacing, but at least he turned his attention to the droid. It was more than he had paid in concentration the entire time, actually.

Meanwhile, I had stood silent and stock-still with Obi-Wan. He was worried, very, very worried. I could see it in how he constantly shifted position, how his eyes kept darting from Padmé to Anakin to Master Yoda and back again, how he kept tugging at his beard. I had never seen him like this, and frankly I hoped I never would again.

But I could understand.

Obi-Wan was worried that if Padmé died, Anakin would fall to the dark side anyways and then there would be no way to save him – or the Republic.

That was a big worry.

And there was little I could do to alleviate it.

But as the droid pulled up, I put my hand on his shoulder. Obi-Wan looked at me, and his eyes softened somewhat. And when I turned back to the droid, I felt his arms slip around my waist and I leaned against him.

"Medically, she is completely healthy," the droid began. "But for reasons we cannot explain, we are losing her."

"She's _dying_?" Anakin exclaimed in horror.

I felt Obi-Wan's arms tighten around me, but I knew he was more trying to be the strong one for me than simply emphasizing with the pain in my heart. He felt it too; I could tell.

"We don't know why," the droid said. "She has lost the will to live."

I staggered in Obi-Wan's embrace. Padmé had always been so strong; sometimes, stronger than me. Why now of all times was she the one dying because she had lost the will to live? Especially since she carried a child within her who would need her?

Obi-Wan pulled me against him. "It's a broken heart," he murmured into my hair. "She doesn't realize Anakin's here."

I shook my head. "It can't end like this," I protested brokenly. "She can't _die_."

He didn't answer me, but I knew he was thinking of everyone else who was dead. I knew he was feeling this just as much as I was.

I saw Anakin look briefly at us from the corner of my eye. I could see the longing in his eyes as he gazed at us, for Obi-Wan had everything at once, everything that mattered this moment, everything that he did not have – someone he loved who wasn't on the operating table dying of a broken heart, but rather physically safe and within his arms. Because Obi-Wan had me, and he would always have me.

Anakin would have no one if Padmé died.

"We need to operate quickly if we are to save the babies," the droid continued, oblivious to the grief his words had caused.

"Babies?" Senator Organa echoed.

"She's carrying twins," the droid answered.

Master Yoda opened his mouth to speak, but Anakin overrode him.

"Let me in there," he said, and his voice was a half a plea and half a command. "Let me talk to her. I can stop this. Just – please – let me try to talk to her."

The droid paused for a moment. "That isn't a wise decision," it cautioned.

Anakin pushed the droid out of the way in answer. Within seconds, he was at Padmé's side.

I started towards them as well, but Obi-Wan held me back. I looked at him, wordlessly demanding why he wasn't letting me go when Padmé was _dying_ and I could help Anakin and that Anakin wasn't going to hurt me. I _needed_ to go. I could help.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "This is Anakin's problem to solve," he whispered. "Let him try before you interfere."

"But – "

"Trust me."

For a moment, I considered pushing my way out of his arms and going to Padmé anyways. I knew Padmé better than him, a part of me argued, I could do this. And Obi-Wan would not restrain me if I made that choice; he would not hurt me.

But some part in me knew he was speaking the truth. Padmé and Anakin had a . . . a connection that was far more powerful than my friendship with her, a connection that ran deeper than all the years I had spent with her, a connection that surpassed everything I had ever had with her. It was something I could never in a trillion years begin to explain, but it – in three years – was more powerful than my friendship of nearly four times that.

I had to let him try first.

Besides . . . Anakin still had to forgive himself for what he had done. He wouldn't listen to anyone about that if Padmé died. He had to hear it from her.

With a sigh, I leaned against Obi-Wan again. "Obi-Wan, if she dies . . ."

But I couldn't even finish the sentence.

"I know," he said, his voice thick with emotion. He didn't blame me for the silent accusation in my voice – I knew he didn't have the heart to. "I know. Just give it a minute."

So we watched in silence.

I wondered what if Obi-Wan would have said the same thing if _I_ were the one on that table, dying of a broken heart. Not because Obi-Wan fell to the dark side; just because I believed he was dead. Actually, more specifically . . . what would _I_ have done? Would I have survived? Could I have survived? Even with the knowledge that I would be carrying his child – would it be enough to keep me alive? Could I live with the knowledge that the one person I loved the most, the person who was my entire world, the man who was the only reason to keep going with a smile on my face, was gone?

In that moment, for the first time, I perhaps understood why Padmé had lost the will to live.

Not that I would have made the same choice, but . . . I understood.

I watched as he held her hand as though it was the most precious thing in the world. I watched as his tears fell one by one from his eyes. And I watched as Anakin talked to Padmé, reminiscing probably, just talked.

A minute later, Obi-Wan tensed.

I frowned and looked at him, worried, but he merely nodded to the window.

Padmé.

She was moving ever so slightly – her fingers. They were twitching ever so slightly.

And then – her eyes opened.

Anakin stared at her as though he had died and gone to heaven or as though she was the goddess of beauty itself. Then he whispered something to her, his expression ashamed beyond description in any language, as though he was quite willing to go and cut off one of his own limbs if she said the word to get rid of the awful guilt, the numbing grief, the overwhelming self-reproach

Then – a miracle.

She lifted her hand and pressed it against his cheek, her lips moving in response.

Anakin's whole face lit up, and for a moment I almost could see why so many girls had fallen head over heels for the "Hero With No Fear".

Almost.

The monitors went nuts, and I flinched from the raucous combination of beeps, pings, and everything else. It was like the war had moved into the war room and was intent on driving everyone absolutely nuts. But Anakin and Padmé seemed unmoved – they just stared at each other, a silly grin on his face, a loving smile on hers.

When the droid pronounced that she would live, it seemed everyone celebrated.

I sighed. "You can tease me for being a pessimist now, Obi-Wan," I said, resigned. But the celebration of Padmé's survival would – hopefully – get me through that.

Therefore, it was much to my surprise when he didn't respond.

I turned around, frowning. "Obi-Wan, I – "

But he was gone.

"Obi-Wan?" I called worriedly. Where could he have gone? And why?

Then I felt a pinch at my shoulder. "Gone to rest, he has," a raspy voice I recognized as belonging to Master Yoda said. "Seek him in your chambers you should."

"Thank you," I said.

Then I took off running.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I left.

Now, it wasn't that I wasn't thrilled that Padmé would live. Yes, I was just as happy as I sensed Anali to be and just as relieved as I sensed Anakin to be.

It was that it was just growing too painful for me to keep standing there.

Not painful emotionally. Physically.

My fall into the waters on Utapau had taken its toll on me. I had ignored it when I escaped Utapau, and the pain of the seeing the Temple destroyed had covered it when I snuck around Coruscant, and the shock of seeing Anakin as a Sith had overridden it on Mustafar – but now, now that everything was settled, it was just becoming too much. Even the simple act taking off my tunic caused pain to flare up.

I had slipped away quietly after Padmé had started talking to Anakin. I had known then that she would live. But I hadn't wanted to alarm Anali, so I didn't want her to see what had happened.

She didn't know, of course, how painful it was even just to hold her against my chest.

Thankfully, it was just a bruise. A large, mottled, painful bruise, but it would heal. A few healing trances, and I'd be all right.

Master Yoda had seen me slip away; my actions were something only a Jedi would have noticed, and of course nothing escaped his attention. I hoped he would delay Anali from coming after me until I could get some rest and hid this from her.

I dug around until I found a medkit and then I balanced it on the ledge of the sink so I could apply the bacta. If I wanted to hide it from Anali, I'd have to resort to bacta, even though I hated doing so. But at least it meant that this bruise would heal faster – hopefully in time for us to confront Sidious later on.

I started where the bruise was on my shoulders, and I winced as the bacta set in. The skin wasn't too bad, but it was tender to the touch and applying bacta didn't really help things.

As I worked, I thanked the Force that Padmé would live. With her alive, Anakin would at least not have yet another temptation to fall. Not that I thought he would become a necromancer, but rather for the sake of his child – uh, children.

Unfortunately, her survival also complicated things.

Master Yoda wasn't going to be too happy that Anakin had broken the Jedi rules so completely. And with half the Order decimated and the rest declared as traitors, raising two very strongly Force-sensitive twins was not going be fun.

Even if they were only _half_ of how mischievous Anakin was.

But at least now Anakin wasn't going to be alone. I had broken the rules too. I hadn't just fallen in love; I had admitted it to her.

Besides, there was no way Master Yoda could have failed to notice the way Anali and I interacted. Or could have failed to sense the way I felt about her and she felt about me. Or have failed to notice how I had gone to her for help, out of all people, instead of simply going to Padmé as he had advised.

I was so busy worrying about that that I didn't even realize someone had entered until I heard Anali say, "Obi-Wan?"

_Oh, blast!_ I hadn't even sensed her come in!

Raising my hand, I used the Force to close the medkit and put it away. Actually, though, I should have shut the door and pretended to be taking a shower or something, because a second later Anali popped her head in the door.

"There you are; why did you – "

Then she gasped, and all the blood drained from her face.


	21. Chapter 20

**_Chapter Twenty_**

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
When I saw Obi-Wan, his back was turned to me – perhaps in an attempt to hide – but I saw it in the mirror.

It was horrible. It was the worst bruise I had ever seen, stretching across his chest and shoulders as though someone had attacked him with the most bizarre sense of fashion and loads of paint. And it really looked like it hurt.

Inwardly, I winced as another thought occurred to me. He had held me how many times against his chest – against that . . . that bruise?

"Anali." Obi-Wan whirled around – the bruise looked even worse for real. "Anali, it's nothing."

I blinked several more times before I could close my gaping mouth. "How can you say that?" I demanded, stepping forward. He tensed, but otherwise he said nothing. "Oh my stars. . . Look at you! How can you say it's nothing? And you . . . you were planning to duel Anakin with _this_?"

He caught my shoulders, holding me back when I reached out. "Hey, calm down. I'm fine. It doesn't – "

Then he flinched when I brushed my fingers over it. "Liar," I said. I shook my head and sighed. "Where'd you hide the medkit?"

He groaned. "Anali, I'll be _fine_," he said firmly. "Leave me alone. Get some sleep, actually." He brushed his fingers over my eyes. "You need it."

"I need it a lot less than you need medicine," I retorted. "Now give me the blasted medkit!"

Obi-Wan sighed. "Fine." He flicked a hand, and the medkit moved over to me as though it was a puppet with strings attached. Invisible strings, that is.

I caught the medkit, one eyebrow raised. _So much for non-frivolous use of the Force._ But at least he was cooperating – well, right now at least. "Now get over the bed so I can help you. And no meddling with my mind, Kenobi!"

He sighed again, but I saw the hint of a smile as he passed by me and tousled my hair.

"How'd you get this?" I asked quietly as I spread the bacta on his other shoulder. He shifted slightly, leaning further back against the backboard of the bed at my touch.

"It's a long story."

I glared at him.

He smiled reluctantly and closed his eyes. "Sorry. When Sidious issued Order 66, I was riding up to the upper levels to help out with the battle there. So when the clones blasted me, I fell off the cliff and – "

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I interrupted. "You fell off a _what_?"

"I was riding a dragonmount," he explained. "It's the only way to get around on Utapau, it seems, when you're not a droid general."

"Oh. Go on, then," I said, resuming spreading the bacta, only now on his chest.

He winced slightly. "Take it easy."

"So much for 'it doesn't hurt'," I said pointedly.

He sighed. "Anyways, my mount took the worst of the blast, so I wasn't fried, but we still fell of the cliff. And we were pretty high up, too. But at least we fell in the lake. Except I fell headfirst, so I got . . . well, I got this. Thankfully, I wasn't so stunned that I drowned, and I managed to get my rebreather in and swim into a little alcove while the clones were investigating the water and looking for my body."

I shut the medkit. "That's all I can do."

"I'd rather I'd have done it myself."

Raising his hand, he started to levitate the medkit back to where it belonged, but I snatched it out of the air.

"I'll deal with it. You, rest."

When I got back, he had struggled into his shirt somehow, and he had a faraway look in his eyes. Concerned, I crawled onto the bed and sat cross-legged by his side. He didn't acknowledge my presence, although I knew he knew I was there.

Finally, he said quietly, "This was one reason I didn't want to get into anything with you."

I blinked. "What?"

He opened his eyes, and I could see guilt swirling around in his blue-green depths. "Anali. . . I can't even care for myself. How could I care for you? Or a child, if you wanted one? In fact, with my age, there's not even a guarantee I'd even be able to give you a child."

I tilted my head. "Since when did a relationship mean the man had to care entirely for the woman?"

"That's not the point, and you know it." He took a deep breath. "Anali, look, I – "

"No, _you_ look. I'm an independent person, and you know that. I hate being babied. And if you have got this idea in your head that just because I'm married, pregnant, or a mother I want to be babied by you for the rest of my life, you are gravely mistaken. I don't want your protection, Obi-Wan, and I also don't need it."

"I don't even have a source of income to support you," he argued.

I snorted. What a flimsy excuse. "Yes, and that has _really_ bothered me for the last, oh, thirteen years."

"And with my missions, I'd barely have time for you – or for us, actually."

Hmm. He had a point there. But . . .

"You're forgetting I'd have missions of my own," I pointed out. "Actually, at this rate, I think it's better if we _don't_ have kids. They'd be in a sorry state, practically orphans."

He groaned and dropped his head back. "You're not listening to me."

"No, it's _you_ who aren't listening." I paused and shook my head. "You think I'm going to judge you like you're a normal person, but you're not. You're different. I can't judge you the way I judge others, and I won't. You're _you_. And I love you because you're you. I don't care about money or missions; I can make my own money and I go on my own missions." I lowered my voice and looked at him straight in the eye. "All I want is your love. That's all. If I have that, everything else is just . . . well, extra."

He smiled slightly. "Like icing on the cake?"

"Yep."

He turned serious again. "It won't be enough, you know."

"What won't be?"

"Love. It won't be enough for it." He looked away sadly. "It hasn't been enough for others."

"Am I 'others'? No." I shifted. "As to 'love isn't enough' – wasn't that the same thing Anakin said to Padmé?"

I saw the shock roll across his face as my words set in. Then he sighed and looked at me and at least gave me a tiny smile. Silently, he held out his arms and I settled into them without debate, curling into his embrace happily.

"Sorry about that," he murmured.

"I guess even a Jedi has self-esteem attacks," I said. "But can we at least try to keep them from interfering with us?"

He stroked my hair once, his eyes warm with affection. "Agreed."

"And can we sleep now?"

He laughed. "Go right ahead, Anali."

I yawned and settled on to the bed, feeling his arms slip around me. Just like before, I felt safe and comfortable and relaxed. _And hopefully that feeling never changes._

Unfortunately, I knew other things _would_ change.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
"You're planning something."

I blinked innocently. "Why, however did you guess? I plan to shake you awake the second the sun rises and continue shaking you until you beg for mercy. And maybe I'll let you go. And then I intend to eat a gigantic breakfast – "

She placed her fingers on my lips. "You're lying again," she said sadly. "What are you and Anakin planning behind my back?"

I sighed. There was no hiding things from her; she knew me too well.

"Look. . . Vader is gone. But while Sidious is still around, we won't be safe. We _have_ to deal with him before we can even think of bringing the Republic back, or of re-starting the Jedi Order."

_And_, I thought privately, _I have to deal with Sidious before he comes after you._

Anali was silent as she rested her head on my shoulder. "When will you leave?"

"In the early morning, perhaps. We need to get this over soon."

She closed her eyes and shuddered slightly. "I hate to think of Sidious getting a hold of you, Obi-Wan. What if – "

"There are no what-ifs for a Jedi," I reminded her softly. "I have to do this, Anali. I need to do this. Besides . . . do you think I'm just going to sit around and wait for him to come after you? Sidious knows who you are, he knows you're important to me, and he's knows you'll stay with me. I will not allow him to hurt you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Not against a Sith Lord," I said flatly. "And that's final."

She sighed. "I wish you weren't so stubborn."

"Too bad."

Despite her words, if anything she clung even tighter to me. "Obi-Wan, I – "

"I know."

I looked at her – at her brown eyes, filled with concern and fear and affection. I knew she would not give up on me, and I knew also that if I was captured, she would come charging after me without the slightest concern for herself – or, possibly, also without a plan. And I knew that if I died, she would never stop loving me – or stop trying to avenge me in any way possible, even if it meant she followed me shortly afterwards.

And yet, despite the fact that I knew all of this, I couldn't bring myself to scold her for it or warn her against doing it.

All I found was a lump in my throat and a burning desire to run away with her and not worry about the Empire or the Sith or the Republic anymore. More than anything, I wanted her safe, even if it meant my life in exchange for that.

But perhaps, through my sacrifice, she would find at least safety.

"Obi-Wan?"

I was jolted out of my thoughts by her voice. Half-disoriented, I looked down at her. "What is it?"

She sighed and snuggled back against me. "Night."

I stroked her hair. "See you tomorrow."

I wouldn't, but . . . sometimes you had to lie when you were in love if it was the only way to protect your loved one.

~ _Anali Yané _~  
The next time I woke up, it was because I was cold.

And when I rolled over, I realized that the reason was another reason in and of itself – I was alone.

I'd never been scared of the dark before in my entire life, but now I found myself dazed, confused, and fearful.

"Obi-Wan?"

Now even my voice shook.

A shadow in the darkness stirred, and Obi-Wan moved to sit by my side. I sat up instantly, reaching for him even as he brought me to him and held me tightly.

I didn't want him to leave. I didn't even want him to stop holding me.

But I knew he had to. And it would be more for the worse if I stopped him from going.

Someone had to stop Sidious.

And Obi-Wan wouldn't stop until he did.

So I would let him, even though I would die letting him and not be alive again until he returned – if not unscathed – at least alive.

"Are you leaving now?"

It was a silly question to ask; I could tell that he was completely dressed and prepared and just . . . ready to go. He even wore his lightsaber, which told me he had been awake for some time, for he never wore to bed – first for safety, and then for the fear of hurting me if it activated accidentally.

"Yes," he said softly. "I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm a light sleeper."

"So I see."

I buried my face in his chest. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to. I can't leave Anakin without a partner for something like this."

"He dealt with Dooku."

"Dooku's not even close," he said flatly. "Anakin will need another person, and I am going."

I sighed. "I know, I know."

He stroked my hair. "Then why did you even ask?"

"I didn't ask but . . . but what kind of person would I be if I didn't?"

He didn't reply.

I drew back so I could look at his face. "Can you promise me something?" I asked.

"What is it?"

"That you _will_ do your best to return. I . . . can . . . accept your death in this. But . . . if you die nobly yet foolishly and Sidious does not, who else can resist him? Padmé's twins will be years before they are ready, and as you pointed out, Anakin can not do this alone. And I doubt he'd want to work with Master Yoda to finish this."

I already felt the tears coming after I said that. Honestly, what kind of lover was I, to say I could live with him dead – and the knowledge that I had given him permission, had said I could accept it?

Obi-Wan seemed to understand. He pulled me into his lap completely, startling me but not enough to disrupt the tears, and wrapped his arms completely around me as though he was the only thing protecting, sheltering, hiding me from the entire universe and quite a bit more.

"I'm sorry," he said, and his voice was just as cracked as mine.

"Do you promise?" I forced out the words.

He brushed at my tears with a gentle hand. "Now and forever. In other words," he added with a touch of mischievousness, "always."

I tightened my grip on his tunic. "Come back to me," I whispered.

"I will," he vowed solemnly, his eyes as serious as the setting sun promises the rise of the moon.

And then we were silent for what seemed like a long time, and my tears slowly dried as he slowly stopped comforting me. Then he shifted and slid me off his lap, back on to the bed. Standing, he leaned over me, one hand still tucked against my neck, as though I was his only anchor to paradise and peace and love.

Then he started to let go.

Panicked reflexes had me tightening my arms and my grip instantly.

He stilled. "What is it?"

I pushed myself up. "I love you."

That was all I said. Just three little monosyllable words. Just three quiet words. Just three words.

Funny how they made up my entire world.

Obi-Wan smiled, pain etched in every line of his face. "As I – "

I didn't let him finish. We didn't have time for that anymore. He had to go – but not just yet. I still had one thing left to say to him.

So I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him.

He kissed me back, with equal – to me, greater – passion than I did. But then again, _he_ was actually awake. I still felt the beckoning of sleep. But love had a strong call. And I was not going to let Obi-Wan leave me – perhaps forever – without giving him some clue as to how much and what he meant to me. Not a chance.

Unfortunately, then sleep's call suddenly strengthened tenfold.

And before I could even figure out how he was using the Force, I found myself letting him put me back down, tuck the blankets around, and kiss me one last time.

And before I could even try to speak or protest to say _something_, he was gone.

And I was fast asleep.


	22. Chapter 21

**_Chapter Twenty-One_**

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I was pacing, and I was about to wear a hole in the floor, and I cared not a single whit.

Now, usually, I wasn't so . . . you might say distracted, careless, or callous, but until Obi-Wan returned to me I could care less about those things.

Padmé was probably faring just as bad, but fortunately or unfortunately, she had her pregnancy. For one, she couldn't pace as I was doing. And for another, she could pretend it was just a symptom of her advanced stage. And for a third, she had lived through many of Anakin's absences over the three years of war during which they had been married.

I had none of these advantages.

Not, of course, that I would have lived through Obi-Wan's absences. If he had had to go to war, I eventually would have thrown my hands up and gone with him.

But of course Padmé, as a Senator and a very publicized figure, could not have done that.

I was usually a calm, collected, private person. I didn't like people to meddle in my affairs, and generally I didn't meddle in the affairs of other people. I wasn't very talkative, but I made up for it by being a good listener – which helped, you know, when one was in the information business. You learned a lot of . . . interesting tidbits about pretty much anyone when you learned to keep your mouth shut and your ears open instead. And I was able to keep a cool head in practically every kind of situation, whether it was time to hack into a government site or whether there was a gunfight with shots flying all over the place.

Of course, none of that applied to me today.

And, of course, I knew exactly what was at fault – love.

I loved Obi-Wan far too much to not worry about him tramping off to Coruscant with Anakin to confront the most powerful Sith Lord in the history of this Republic who had been able to bring down even Master Yoda, one of the greatest Jedi, _and_ who was probably guarded by every single platoon and battalion of soldiers stationed on Coruscant.

Then again, Obi-Wan did like to take risks when Anakin was around.

Only this time, the risk he was taking involved his life.

So, yes, I wasn't exactly the calmest person.

In fact, I had already snapped at a grand total of five people – well, five if the three droids counted.

I still didn't care, though. And I wouldn't care until Obi-Wan was back _safely_ with me.

"Anali?"

I looked up, startled out of my pacing momentarily. Padmé stood there, and she took in my stance with a single glance. Carefully, she stretched out a hand to me.

"Can you help me with something?"

Curious, I followed. When we entered her room, she eased herself into a rocking chair and sighed as the chair took the pressure off her feet. Then she looked at me and gestured to a chair nearby.

"Sit, please."

"What is it, Padmé?"

For once, she seemed . . . uncertain, as if she didn't know how to phrase her thoughts. That was a rare occurrence; after years in politics, if there was one thing Padmé Amidala could do, it was think on her feet.

"What . . . What are you going to do . . . What are you planning to do if . . . well, you know . . . if Obi-Wan and Anakin . . . don't come back?" she asked hesitantly.

I forced myself to uncurl my fist. I knew it might happen; it was hard to . . . hear it.

"First I'm going to figure out what Sidious is planning to do with them, and if they're . . . alive . . . I'm going after them," I answered.

"And if they're not?"

"Then I'm going to do whatever it takes to bring the Empire down instead," I said flatly.

Padmé sighed and leaned back in the chair, closing her eyes. "I sometimes wish I was more like you, Anali."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Perhaps I should have asked _why_ then, but please answer."

She opened her eyes. "You're so . . . I don't know. You know exactly what you're going to do; you have a plan. You don't want to admit that Obi-Wan might die, and yet you're still able to plan in the case of his death. You don't let that fear of him dying blind you to the other options you have." She shook her head slowly. "I can't do that. Whenever I think of Anakin not coming back to me, it's like . . . I'm paralyzed. I can't think straight."

"You've had Anakin for three years now," I said gently. "And you've become accustomed to knowing that he'll fight to come back to you."

She looked straight into my eyes. "You say that like you don't think Obi-Wan would do the same," she remarked.

That silenced me.

Finally, I admitted, "It's not that I don't think – it's that I don't _know_. I don't know what he will or would do. All I know that if he thought coming back to me would put me in danger, he would stay away no matter what. As for having a plan . . . sometimes I wish I didn't. It feels . . . strange, knowing that some part of me can accept him dying without . . . grieving. As if I don't . . . love him enough. Or am just not worthy to."

"Don't think that," Padmé said sharply. "You love him quite enough."

"Oh really? How many lovers plan for what to do if by some chance their lover dies, Padmé? How many?"

"You don't really have a plan," she observed. "Just a desire to get revenge. It's not the same. Plans have details. You just want to storm Coruscant and make Sidious pay for everything he stole from you."

Her logic made sense, but still . . . Doubts still plagued me. _Am I not worthy to love him? Is that why I can so easily face the possibility that he might . . . die?_ I felt the plunging feeling in my stomach at the thought of him leaving me, like my heart was falling, but when it came to dying . . . then, I just started planning. It was like I had no sensation of emotion at all.

"Then what do you plan to do if Anakin doesn't return?" I asked quietly.

She looked away. "Bail's been speaking to me about his own plans," she said by way of answer.

"What you were talking about in his apartment?" I guessed.

She nodded. "The only thing is that it would take years before we were ready to oppose the Empire. Years. And without the Jedi, we might not even succeed, and then we'd all pay for it."

"And you have the children to think about," I pointed out.

"Yes," she said faintly. "I just don't really know what I will do, I guess. And I can't make a decision like that with a life-or-death encounter hanging over Anakin's head – I just can't. I can't focus."

"You seem plenty focused now," I said wryly.

"Well . . . it's easier with you. You're facing the same thing as me. Bail doesn't have that."

"I guess so. . ."

After that, conversation just sort of . . . evaporated. But we didn't really need to talk; we just needed each other. It was a comfort to know that someone else was facing the same exact fears as you. As Padmé had pointed out, no one else on this place understood that. Even Bail and Master Yoda – they didn't have the same problem as us.

Not that I'd really end up spilling to Master Yoda. I'd be more likely to get a lecture on attachment than comfort from him.

I didn't pace; she didn't talk. We just . . . waited.

Finally, we heard a commotion down the hall. Droids started zooming past and people started chattering loudly. And we heard the distinctive sound of ship engines over by where I knew the landing pads were. And then Bail Organa popped his head in.

"We've just had contact from them," he said urgently. "Come on!"

"What did they say, Bail?" Padmé demanded at once, taking the words right out of my mouth. "Were they successful or not?"

He merely hurried us faster.

I reached the landing bay first; Padmé was walking as fast as she could go, but of course I could go faster.

The ship's landing ramp was down, and droids were trundling up and down unloading stuff – but I didn't see anyone around, and certainly I didn't see Obi-Wan or Anakin.

_That doesn't bode well._

I turned around as Padmé and Bail entered. "Did they say if they were hurt or successful or what, Senator?"

Bail shook his head. "Nothing. It was an automatic response when the ship entered the atmosphere; I don't know if it was just the ship or whether it was actually them."

"So we have to wait," Padmé said softly.

And wait we did.

I started pacing again after five minutes into our wait.

And then we heard footsteps, slow and slightly off beat, and we all looked up.

Anakin.

Padmé's whole face lit up, and Anakin grinned like a little boy as he ran to her and hugged her tightly. Due to the dark shade of his attire, I couldn't tell if he was wounded or not – but then again, sometimes being with the one you loved was all the cure you needed. And besides a few cuts and scrapes here and there, he didn't look too bad.

I whirled around and waited eagerly for Obi-Wan to come down, his lateness already forgiven.

But there were no footsteps after Anakin.

My heart started chipping. Obi-Wan had said he would do anything and give almost anything to bring balance and to aid Anakin. Even his life.

I had prayed he wouldn't have to.

Unfortunately, it seemed prayers weren't always answered.

Bail touched my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Anali," he said quietly. He knew exactly what Obi-Wan's absence meant. And Anakin wouldn't have returned to us if Obi-Wan was captured or something; he would have gone back for him, I knew it. He wouldn't have left his best friend to rot in Sidious's grip.

That, of course, only left me with one sobering conclusion as to what had happened.

Obi-Wan was dead.

"He died as he lived," Bail continued. "In the service of the Jedi Order. And he won't be forgotten."

"Who will remember him?" I asked bitterly.

Bail looked at me with an odd expression on his face. "Many people will . . . because of you. And because of Anakin and Padmé. And because of their children. He saved them, Anali. He saved us all."

I sighed. "I know. My apologies, Senator, I . . . I'm sorry."

He put his hand on my shoulder. "I know."

When I raised my head to look at him, I could only see compassion in his eyes. While perhaps he could not emphasize with my pain, at least he was trying.

"Thank you, Senator." I took a deep breath and straightened. "I know of your plans for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Assuming Anakin didn't . . . Well, I would like to speak to you about them."

"I know we will be happy to count of you," Bail said.

"I know, and – "

"Anali?"

I looked up at Anakin's voice. His arms were still around Padmé, but the joy in his eyes had faded. Now he looked somber and full of sadness.

"There's something I need to tell you about," he said. "Obi-Wan . . . He . . ."

I held up a hand. "There's no need to, Anakin." I looked back at the ship, but then wrenched my gaze away – it was too painful to look at the ship that had represented the hope of Obi-Wan's return to me. "I already know what you're going to say."

A hint of surprise colored his expression. "You do? How?"

"What do you mean 'how'?"

"How do you know?" he repeated.

I stared at him. _How naive do you think I am, Anakin Skywalker? Sidious was the deadliest Sith alive – well, hopefully he _was_ – and you returned without Obi-Wan. One plus one equals two usually, and I can put them together._

Anakin cleared his throat. "You see, um, what happened was – "

_Clank._

The sound reverberated all over the hangar. I froze. Bail stiffened. Anakin fell silent and looked at the landing ramp as though it had suddenly grown heads.

_Clank._ _Clank._

The sounds were uneven, as if a droid had lost one of its legs and was carrying a particular heavy load. I wondered what in the galaxy Anakin had brought back that was so heavy.

And then a possibility occurred to me, and tears filled my vision. I shut my eyes tight.

I didn't want to see Obi-Wan's dead body.

Then a voice, warm and strong and slightly out of breath, rang out in tune with simultaneous gasps.

"I'll tell her myself, thank you very much, Anakin. I don't need your editing distorting what really happened."

Then the voice turned uncertain. "Anali?"

Bit my bit, I let my eye open. Either I was hallucinating pretty badly or . . .

Obi-Wan stood there, leaning heavily on some sort of cane and favoring his right leg, which was bleeding despite the enormous amount of gauze wrapped around it. His tunic was sweat-soaked, blood-stained, and slightly smoking and charred in some areas, but at least his face was pretty much clean.

I leaped forward and threw my arms around him so tightly that he nearly fell over.

If this was a dream, I wanted it to last.

He stroked my hair – at least that felt real. "Hey, easy," he said with a laugh. "Don't knock me over, or Anakin will have a fit. Again."

"Am I dreaming?"

His gaze softened. "No, you're not."

"How do you know?"

He laughed, leaning down kiss me gently. He smiled again as I looked at him in wonder, his blue-green eyes alight with amusement. "Does that prove I'm real?"

I buried my face in his neck. "Thank the Force you're alive," I whispered.

"Barely alive," he corrected. "And hurting."

"Well, if you'd stayed on the ship, you wouldn't be!" Anakin fumed.

I started. Anakin had marched up to us, his blue eyes smoldering with fury. I winced at the sight, but Obi-Wan merely sighed.

"I'll be fine once I get to the medcenter."

"If you'd stayed on the ship, I could have gotten an antigrav sled for you, and you wouldn't have to walk!" Anakin nearly shouted.

"Can we leave now?" I whispered to Obi-Wan. "He's starting to scare me."

He laughed and kissed me again. "Let's go before Anakin swells up and explodes," he agreed. "But don't worry – he'll be more likely to hurt me than you for this escapade."

"You just wait until I calm down," I warned.

He raised an eyebrow. "And what will a calmed-down Anali do?"

I sighed when he looked at me, his blue-green eyes twinkling with amusement despite his obvious pain.

"Probably not be able to scold you," I admitted resignedly.

He grinned. "I win."


	23. Chapter 22

**_Chapter Twenty-Two_**

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I shook my head in amusement as Anakin stormed out of the medcenter, muttering angrily to himself under his breath.

It turned out that what Anakin had wanted to tell me was that Obi-Wan was actually just gravely injured, not that he was dead. That would also explain our communication difficulties when he tried to tell me. I still wasn't sure why he'd been so nervous at the thought of telling me; I would have been rejoicing at the knowledge that at least he was alive. But I obviously didn't know how the man's mind worked and I kind of didn't want to.

Silently, I slipped into the medcenter. The droids were done caring for Obi-Wan; all he could do now was eat and rest.

And sure enough, when I made my way to his room, he was trying to read a datapad while eating what was on the tray Anakin had presumably left.

For a second, I paused in the doorway to study him. The droids had cleaned him up; now he was wearing a fresh tunic and pants. And they had properly dressed his leg wound. All in all, he seemed a lot cleaner and a lot more relaxed.

Well, as relaxed as you can get while trying to multitask.

Then he looked up and saw me. Instantly, he pushed away the tray, set down the datapad, and wordlessly held out his arms. Grinning, I shed my boots and crawled on to the bed, reclining in his arms with a content sigh as he kissed the top of my head.

"How are you?" he asked quietly, toying with a strand of my hair as he spoke.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

He chuckled. "I'm fine."

"Yes, I deduced that from the fact that you seem totally unruffled while Anakin's stalking down the halls in a fury."

"He is?" Obi-Wan shook his head with a sigh. "He needs to learn to control his temper."

"Yes, well," I said wryly, "you're not the best teacher."

"Oh?"

I snuggled closer to him, closing my eyes and relaxing. "Your arguments would drive anyone to stalk down the halls in a fury."

"Says who?"

I opened one eye to glare at him. "Me."

He laughed. "And since when are you the absolute authority on me?"

"Since now."

He laughed again as he pulled me closer. "Well, then, it appears I must accept your judgment."

I sighed. Then I shifted to look at him. "But really, how are _you_ feeling?"

He pursed his lips. "A few cuts and bruises here and there," he replied. "Bumped my head once or twice. And my leg got sliced up pretty badly, but I think it'll be okay. Jedi healing trances can work wonders. I'll be right as rain by tomorrow."

I glared at him.

"Okay, perhaps in the next few days," he admitted.

"Did you . . ."

I couldn't finish the question; the words got stuck in my throat.

He brushed back my hair tenderly. "If you're asking about Sidious, then yes, we took care of him," he said quietly. "I didn't plan on returning until we did. I wasn't about to let him run free to come after you."

"Since when was I a target?"

"Since you become involved with me," he said flatly.

"Oh."

He looked at me, and his eyes softened. "That wasn't a criticism, you know," he told me.

I relaxed and snuggled back against him. "What happened to your leg anyways?" I asked after a moment. "Aren't you supposed to be a master of defense?"

"Ah. Um." He shifted nervously. "It was my mistake. I let down my guard momentarily; I thought he would stay put and I was looking for Anakin. And then he just . . . pops back up and then his lightsaber was slicing through my leg." He sighed. "And the next thing I know, before I can even try to get my lightsaber up, he was using Force-lightning and I was bleeding terribly and I was just . . . dying – and then it was all over. Anakin had killed him."

"Force-lighting?" I repeated.

Obi-Wan sighed and gestured shortly with his hand. Instantly, everything in the room that wasn't bolted down started rising slowly. It was freaky, like someone had turned on a gigantic magnet or something.

"The Force channels energy," Obi-Wan reminded me, dropping his hand and allowing the objects to return to the ground where they belonged. "And just as I can manipulate that energy in the corporeal world to affect objects, I can also – theoretically – manipulate that energy to manifest in the corporeal world as well."

I thought it over. It made sense. Sort of. But I got the feeling that he was kind of simplifying it for me, as I wasn't a Jedi. Except – "If it's theoretical, then how'd you get hurt?"

"Theoretical for _me_," he amended. "I've never done it. It's a Sith technique."

"I can understand that," I muttered.

Lightning could only hurt, and I was sure Obi-Wan and all other Jedi would never want to hurt anyone using it. I just couldn't imagine Obi-Wan doing that – deliberating channeling energy to fry someone. He was too controlled, too gentle, too compassionate to do something that terrible even to his worst enemies, much less his greatest friends.

I shuddered, and he looked at me with concern. "What is it?"

I leaned back against him. "I was imagining how painful it must have been," I said in a small voice.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I stiffened. I knew the pain of Force-lightning. There was no way, Force or no, that I would _ever_ let anyone hurt my Anali that way. No way at all.

I stroked her hair soothingly, holding her close. "I'll never let that happen to you," I promised quietly. "Never."

Anali looked at me with a trace of irritation. "Funny how I was actually worrying about _you_."

I smiled at the sharpness in her voice. "You know my first concern is for you, not for myself. I'll heal in a few days and be fine. You wouldn't; you don't have the training to be able to do that kind of thing."

"Thanks," she said sarcastically.

"And it's a good thing too, or else you'd have yet another attractive temptation to lure the Sith with," I finished gravely.

"Oh. Good point."

I surveyed her as she lapsed into silence. Yes, she was already a tempting target for the Sith – not just for the fact that she meant so much to me, but also for her abilities and connections and knowledge. There was no need to make her even more attractive by her having Force-sensitivity as well.

Besides, she was perfect as she was.

"Now, what were you saying to Senator Organa?"

"Nothing serious."

"Anali."

She sighed. "It was my . . . I don't know. I had to plan something in case you . . . didn't come back," she said hesitantly. "And he's been gathering together people for his Alliance to the Restore the Republic. He already sought Padmé's help. So we agreed that if you and/or Anakin didn't return, we would join."

I frowned, hearing the implication in her voice. "Revenge that could have gotten you killed."

"With you dead," she said softly, "what other reason did I have to keep living besides revenge?"

That silenced me. Unfortunately, I had been entertaining similar thoughts, although the possibilities of her dying were far slimmer than my own. I knew where she was coming from.

"Then thank the Force Sidious is dead," I said finally.

She smiled. "Yes."

"What is Bail's plan now?"

"Now? I think it is to still be an Alliance, but now to search out what Jedi survived the ambushes," she said. "And I'm going to help with that."

Her words had a trace of challenge, as though she feared I might stop her.

Well, I wanted to stop her.

But I knew she would want to contribute _something_. Anali couldn't just sit around and do nothing while everyone else was working hard. And besides, fellow Jedi wouldn't hurt her. She would get her chance to help while staying relatively out of major danger. It was better than her returning to be a bounty hunter again, anyways.

"What, you're afraid I would stop you?" I teased.

Relief flooded her expression and she buried her face in my chest.

"I'll take that as a yes," I decided.

"Oh, shut it, Obi-Wan," she said, her voice muffled.

"Has Bail said which planet you would be scouring?" I asked.

"I think he decided Coruscant for me," she replied. "I'll be working with others, of course; Coruscant is too large for one person to scan alone."

I sighed. "Good." Then another thought occurred to me, and I sobered.

She glimpsed my expression. "What's wrong?"

"Sidious is gone, but the Order still lives . . . somewhat. And the media remains," I said distastefully. "But my point is that the Order is still around, and I doubt they will change the rules of attachment. Especially after what Anakin did."

"What are you saying?"

I tightened my arms around her at the fear in her voice. "I won't let you go. But I can't stop being a Jedi; they need me more than ever now. So . . . hopefully they can turn a blind eye."

"And if you have to choose?"

I looked down. "I don't know about that. I'll face it if and when it comes, I guess."

She nodded. "I understand," she said softly.

"We'll just have to be careful," I cautioned. "And stay out of the public view. I can't seem to be too close to you, for this and other reasons."

"I know. And thankfully my apartment is generally not stalked by the media," she said with a hint of a smile.

"Thankfully."

She yawned. "I'm going to sleep. I've had more than enough excitement for one day, I think."

I chuckled and brushed my lips over hers. "Get some sleep, then."

She sat up. "Night."

I grabbed her shoulder. "Whoa, whoa – who said I gave you permission to leave?" I demanded playfully.

Anali smiled and slipped under the sheets. Within minutes, she was back in my arms – where she belonged – and we were both starting to drift off to sleep.

"I love you, Anali," I said quietly as she fell asleep.


	24. Chapter 23

**_Chapter Twenty-Three_**

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
As I walked slowly down the alleys, I was more grateful than ever that my helmet filtered the air and presented only stale yet clean air for me to breathe. With all the sludge and garbage I saw down here, I was surprised that _anyone_ could live down, much less would.

But Bail's scanners had been an insistent that someone was down here – and more importantly, that the person's life scan had revealed distinctive signatures that belonged to all Jedi.

So hopefully they weren't being suckered, and the Jedi wasn't dead yet.

Just then, I heard something.

A child's cry?

Carefully, I put away my blaster. I couldn't afford to accidentally shoot a Jedi – especially if my reading was correct and it was a child. And I didn't want to frighten the child either. After all, the last blasters the child would have seen would have the blasters of the clones . . . who had then tried to kill all the Jedi they could.

Just then, I heard it again – a small sniffle or sob.

I followed the sound down a dark alley, and when I said dark, I meant _dark_. I could only see outlines, and just barely that.

I stopped in front of some sort of . . . well, I supposed it could be called a shelter. It was extremely crude and basic – it used the garbage disposal vent and the wall behind that to drape a scrap curtain of steel to make a small tent. As far as I could see, there was nothing inside – not even a blanket or a kit of food or a light. Nothing. It was completely empty.

With a sigh, I triggered my communicator. "Yané here, from Sector 1C."

The Lower Levels had been designated as Sector 1 because it was the prime level for outcasts to flee too – and an excellent place for Jedi to blend in and hide until they could get off planet. So therefore, we were devoting the most of our resources to the Lower Levels.

"The Captain here. Go ahead, Anali."

Senator Organa had been designated as "the Captain" – we used codes just in case.

"I checked it out. Nothing. I think they must have moved on."

"They?"

"I don't know; I'm just guessing that there were two. Unless someone is playing with my mind, I heard a child down here, but a child couldn't have set up this shelter without an adult, and I doubt a youngling would trust anyone but another."

"Could it be two children?"

"I don't know." I scanned the alley. "Can you send reinforcement? I think, if someone else is here, I can track them down."

"Can I have at least a guess at who you want?"

I fought a smile. "You're way too perceptive, Captain. But, if you could, can you ask – "

And that's when the comlink went flying out of my hand as though someone had activated a giant magnet at the same time that I heard the distinctive sound of a sharp _snap-hiss_.

Oh. The Jedi hadn't moved on.

Oh dear.

Slowly, cautiously, I turned around, keeping my hands at my sides.

A young boy stood there. He was a Padawan Learner – but a new one, as his rather short Padawan braid proved. His Jedi uniform was torn and dirty, but at least it wasn't bloody. At least, as far as I could see. His blue lightsaber wavered in his hands as he looked up at me and noted all of my gear and my helmet and just the fact that I was taller, stronger, and older.

"Who are you, apprentice?" I asked.

The boy didn't answer.

With a sigh, I carefully reached out and unbuckled my helmet. He tensed and leaned forward, shifting his stance and his hold on her lightsaber, but other than that, he did nothing but watch. I let my helmet slide off my head. Then I carefully knelt so that we were at least at relatively the same eye level.

"Apprentice – I don't know who you are," I began, "but I was sent here by the Jedi Temple. You survived the Purge; you survived Order 66. Do you remember all of those clones?"

The boy nodded. "I remember." His voice wobbled with unshed tears.

"They are gone now. Master Yoda and Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker have dealt with them. They won't be coming back." I scanned the alley again. Surely whoever was with her wouldn't let a young apprentice face a stranger alone?

"Where's your Master?" I asked.

The boy lowered his lightsaber and pointed.

Too late, I realized that he had merely been bait – and that this was a trap.

I started to spin around at the same time that a powerful arm wrapped around my throat and slammed me against the wall. Without thinking, I reacted, yanking on the arm and dropping my knees to send the person over me. He or she, however, countered by changing their center of balance. Quickly, I rolled forward, lashing out with my legs to force the person to roll with me. He or she did with a pained grunt, and I threw myself sideways, breaking the grip, and backwards, rolling to stand up again and panting.

The Jedi rolled to his feet as well and held out his arm to boy, holding him back and protecting him. "Who sent you here?" he demanded.

It was then that I recognized the person. "Master Windu!" I exclaimed, stepping forward.

He faltered when I said his name, but he didn't relax. "Who are you?"

"My name is Anali Yané," I said clearly. "I'm the Silent Shadow, Master Windu."

He frowned, and I felt . . . _something_, some unknown force, push into my mind. Within a few seconds, it withdrew.

Master Windu relaxed and gestured for the boy to do the same. He shut off the lightsaber.

"Anali."

I ran forward as he staggered; apparently, his strength was merely a facade against strangers. Some wound was draining his strength, or perhaps multiple wounds. Whatever it was, he was in danger.

I carefully helped him sit, leaning against the wall.

It was then that I realized he only had one arm, actually. The other was a mere stump – something, most likely a lightsaber, had cut it off.

"How did you find us?" he coughed out.

"Life scans," I answered, activating my comlink. There was only one number in it; it was supposed to be used only during emergencies. And I figured that this qualified as one in almost every way.

"Anali?"

"Oh thank the Force," I said in relief. "Obi-Wan, can you track me through this?"

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"I found them, but . . . Can you please come?"

"Don't turn off the comlink," he said. And then he was gone, but a red light came on at the top and started blinking.

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I broke almost every air speed law and regulation on my way to Anali. I was speeding; I was driving recklessly; and I was contacting people as I went. Senator Organa, for one. And Anakin, for another.

When I got to where the tracer was, I leapt out before even fully shutting down – something I'd always scolded Anakin for.

I didn't care in the slightest, though; Anali was in trouble.

When I raced into the alley, my first thought was to protect her. She was standing at the opening, pacing, although she relaxed when she saw me. I immediately went to her and tried to put my arms around her, but she stopped me, pushing against my chest.

"What is it?" I asked, concerned.

She shook her head. "Not here," she said urgently.

Concealing my hurt, I moved on to my next concern. "Are you hurt?"

"No, it's . . . it's Mace. I'm so scared for him, Obi-Wan – I don't know how he survived! And I don't think he'll live much longer without medical aid from the Temple."

"Mace?" I stepped back in shock. "He _survived_?"

She gestured shortly. I moved into the alleyway, still stunned. Master Windu was supposed to have been killed in the duel with Sidious; I had seen the security tapes that had shown him been flung out the open window with Force-lightning blazing about him. If he had survived _that_ but hadn't gotten medical care, no wonder Anali was worried about him.

Sure enough, Master Windu lay in the small, crude shelter Anali had gestured to, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. One of the Padawans stood next to him.

The boy looked at me with relief. "Master Kenobi."

I knelt by them. "Padawan Jukassa, isn't it?" The boy nodded, and I turned my attention to Master Windu.

"Master Windu . . . Mace," I tried.

He didn't respond.

But thankfully, the medics arrived not too long afterwards. The Padawan was in little danger; his lightsaber was slightly burned and he had a slight burn, but other than that he would be fine. Master Windu . . . well, Mace would require a bit more work and time before we could say the same about him.

And unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to be moved to the Temple. But at least the Healers had set up a makeshift place not too far away, and Senator Organa was providing a lot of help. Besides, Master Windu wouldn't be the only Jedi there.

Others had been found too – here and there. And more were coming back now that we had a communications center and were reaching out to everyone. And more teams were leaving soon to help search out those who couldn't contact us because of the clone battalions, some of which still hadn't stood down yet.

When it was over, I moved to Anali and slipped my arms around her, hoping she would let me this time.

Thankfully, she only leaned against me, worry etched in every line of her face. Her expression was almost distracted, actually, since she was so worried.

"They'll be fine," I reassured her.

She sighed. "I hope so." Then she looked at me. "I'm sorry about pushing you away."

I shook my head. "Don't be. I understand."

I held her in silence for a few moments longer. Hopefully, Master Windu hadn't seen or sensed what had gone on between us. And if he had . . . well, we would deal with that later.

"Come on," I said gently. "The day's over; let's get back to the higher levels, shall we?"

"Are there any more leads?" she asked as she settled in her seat.

"No more for you tonight," I said sternly, starting the engines. "You are done. You have done more than enough and quite more than your share."

"I can last another hour or two. . ."

"_No_, Anali."

She sighed again, but this time a rueful smile played on her lips and she rested her head on my shoulder. "This is what I get for loving a Jedi Master, isn't it?"

"You might not have it for long," I murmured as we started moving.

She looked at me, concerned. "Why?"

I tightened my grip on the steering. "I . . . Master Yoda and I and some of the others are going to the Temple. We have to start assessing the damage . . . and the dead . . . before any repairs and whatnot can be done," I said, the words coming out almost strangled. "I might . . . Well . . . I might not be as calm after that."

She was silent. Then she leaned over and kissed me gently on the cheek. "Come and see me when you're done, okay?"

Now it was my turn to look at her, concerned. "Why?"

Her brown eyes were full of compassion and affection. "Because I want you to stay with me tonight," Anali said simply.

I smiled at her. I knew she really didn't need my company; she just knew I would need a private place to vent . . . or grieve. And she wanted to make sure I would be fine afterwards, so she wanted to be with me during that.

I raised a hand and placed it over hers in her lap. "Then I'll see you then."


	25. Chapter 24

**_Chapter Twenty-Four_**

~ _Obi-Wan Kenobi_ ~  
I staggered into the makeshift quarters assigned to me as if I was drunk and had a major migraine, but thankfully no one noticed.

I didn't think I could have dealt with anyone right now.

I slid to the floor and put my head in my hands and hoped I wouldn't vomit.

I felt sick. No, sicker than sick. I felt ready to regurgitate all of my innards until I had nothing left and keep on going.

That was how I really felt.

I had just come from the Temple . . . again.

The body count had taken hours, but we had only allowed the Masters to do it. Padawans and Knights were regulated to damage assessment and the communications centers – or a place that had been cleaned of all the bodies.

We wanted to spare them that horror.

Unfortunately, to spare them, someone had to see it.

And I had.

It had been . . . beyond any kind of description. I had seen friends and teachers and children – no one had escaped from the massacre in the Temple except a lucky few, and all of them were undergoing critical treatment in the makeshift healers ward. All had lain dead, pierced by a lightsaber or burned by blaster shots.

They had tried to do some sort of stand in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, the Masters staying to hold off the enemy while the children fled.

But that too had failed.

All were dead – I had seen it.

The clone battalions had been trained far too well.

And they had carried out their command far too lethally.

A part of me wondered if the Jedi Order could ever actually recover from this. True, less than two hundred Jedi were usually stationed in the Temple, but our numbers had been stretched thin aboard, and even fewer of the Jedi with their own troops had survived.

And almost the entire Council was dead too.

Master Yoda, Mace, and me – we were some of the only survivors.

It would take only months to reestablish a clear command chain and all of that. That wasn't what I was worried about.

What I was worried about was that the damage done might destroy the Order.

Completely.

Command chain or no, many Jedi would be traumatized heavily by this. Especially the children. That might erode trust between the Order and the Republic, which would take far longer to rebuild as Senator Organa wearily admitted.

And with so many Jedi dead, our Order would be spread even thinner now just trying to do our normal duties. It would take generations before we regained our normal amount – if ever.

I mean, with this latest tragedy, now even less parents might be willing to give up their children to the Order. And already before this less and less each year had been found and added to the Order's numbers.

The Council would just have to allow attachment.

That was what Anakin argued.

I wasn't so sure I agreed. Or rather, I agreed, but I didn't know if it was because of my attachment to Anali or because I really did think so. Or if my friendship with Anakin and my desire to keep him in the Order was interfering. Or if I really just had my eye on the twins Padmé carried right now.

In other words, I was confused. And being sick to my stomach didn't help either.

Unfortunately or fortunately, my Jedi control was sufficient to keep all my meals in my stomach.

But it couldn't get the haunting images of the dead out of my mind.

I wished Anali was here. With her, at least, I could forget I was a Jedi or a General. She made me feel like I was just . . . me. Just Obi-Wan Kenobi. Like I was perfect the way I was and she loved me all the more for that.

Wait.

Anali.

She had asked me to see her after I was done.

I was dead tired, but I wasn't about to refuse her request. After all, she knew I was going to go to the Temple after I dropped her off. And she knew what had happened to the Temple – she had heard, no doubt from her own scavenging as well as from me.

Slowly, I forced myself to stand.

I needed her company, her comfort, her presence now.

As I stumbled out, I reflected that if Anakin had felt the same way during the Clone Wars, no wonder he had sought to remain on Coruscant longer every time we came back. No doubt Padmé made him relax as well.

I had never felt like this before, but somehow I knew that being with Anali – even just sitting next to her – would help me calm down and actually be able to sleep tonight.

Hopefully, my instincts were right.

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I paced on the balcony. I was more exhausted than I'd ever been, but I couldn't sleep. I was far too worried to even _think_ of sleeping yet.

The moon was beginning to set; the day was almost beginning.

So where was he? And why was he taking so long?

He had never let me down and I didn't think he would now, but . . . that was the only explanation I could find to Obi-Wan not showing up when I'd asked him to when it had been so long for him to do whatever had kept him away.

Suddenly, I heard my door slide shut. Reflex had me whirling around, cursing that I carried no weapons right now.

However, by then I'd realized that I was in no danger.

Only person could slip past security so easily.

_Obi-Wan._

Sure enough, the Jedi Master himself appeared at the door to my balcony seconds later.

I was startled by his appearance. He looked . . . haunted. There was no other way I could describe it. His eyes, which were usually a brilliant, dancing blue-green, were deadened. His normally impassive face was hollow, as if devoid of feeling. And there was something about the air around him . . . something was off.

Within a few steps, I was by his side.

"Obi-Wan, what's wrong?" I asked worriedly. I had never seen him like this before.

He blinked and suddenly focused on me, as if noticing me for the first time.

"Obi-Wan?" I repeated, touching his arm.

Therefore, I totally did not expect his arms to suddenly snap up, seize me, and pull me against him. It wasn't the first time Obi-Wan had demonstrated the speed and power of his Jedi abilities to me, but it by no means made it any less surprising.

And then he kissed me.

For a moment I relaxed against him. He didn't like to be in the public, or to advertise our relationship; surely that was why he was here so late in the night.

But after a few seconds, I came to the realization that something was wrong. His kiss was almost bruising in its strength – and the strength did not come from his passion. He had kissed me before and it had not been like this. And why was he doing it on the balcony – in plain view?

And there was an air of desperation around him, as if he really wanted to forget something.

That made me pull away, breaking the kiss and startling him enough that he let me go.

I backed up. "Obi-Wan, what's come over you?" I breathed, staring at him. "What – Why – What's going on?"

He folded his hands into his robes. "Nothing's changed."

I shivered as he spoke. _Stars above, even his voice is strange._ It sounded flat, unemotional. Jedi could be impassive, but this. . . I had heard Obi-Wan's "politician" voice before, and this was not it. This was the flat voice of a robot.

I eyed him. _Oh, my love, what's happened to you? What's made you like this?_

"Last time," I said slowly, "last time you made it clear you wanted this to be a secret. So why risk this?"

His eyes flashed in anger, startling me. "Nothing's changed," he repeated with a tint of anger, one I had never heard in his voice before. "Have you?"

"No!" I exclaimed, taking a step backwards. "I would never – I told you! Obi-Wan, please, stop this! What's wrong with you?"

Obi-Wan stopped short at my words, as if I'd smacked him in the face and suddenly he seemed drained of all energy. He passed a hand over his face.

"I . . . We just . . . I just came from the Temple. We were . . . We were . . . I had to see all the children." He swallowed, and his voice cracked. "All the Jedi. Everyone. No one got out."

_Oh, my love. . ._

I stepped back towards him and this time I let him hug me. He rested his chin on my head, and I could feel the weariness and pain in his aura.

I had known when he had told me that he was going to the Temple that he would suffer and grieve for those he had known and lost. And I had requested that he come to see me afterwards, but . . . but I hadn't expected him to risk us being discovered. My apartment was private, but I didn't want to risk a stray camera catching this, as we were on my balcony now and it did not have privacy shields.

"It was terrible. I . . . I don't know . . . I'm not sure . . . Things are so different." His arms tightened. "You're the only thing not changed, I think."

A thought struck me, and I pulled back to meet his eyes. "What about the Council?" I asked. "They won't let you . . . We can't . . . They won't approve of this."

His eyes darkened. "I don't care about what the Council thinks, Anali." He laughed humorlessly. "Not that there's much of a Council left, anyways."

I pulled away completely. Something about the way he had said that. . . "Have you thought this through?"

"Of course."

I sidestepped his attempt to bring me back in his arms. "No, you haven't. You aren't thinking, Obi-Wan. You aren't."

"I don't need to!"

"Yes, you do!" I closed my eyes and sighed. "Obi-Wan, please. I love you . . . but I won't fall down the same path as Anakin and Padmé. We can't be together . . . not until you think this through. Are you really going to through everything away just for love?"

He stared at me for a few moments, his eyes unreadable. Then he whirled around and stormed away.


	26. Chapter 25

A/N: For some reason, I'm not able to respond to any reviews. No idea what's up. So, first note, does anyone have the same difficulty – or the solution? Second note: someone commented that Anali's reaction seemed kinda cold. I'll admit it does. But try to remember that Obi-Wan's Jedi powers do scare her sometimes, and that she's not perfect. And when you're scared, sometimes you seek comfort from others, like Obi-Wan did, or you push people away, like Anali did. I'm not criticizing anyone, just trying to explain. Now, read on!

* * *

**_Chapter Twenty-Five_**

~ _Anali Yané_ ~  
I sat down heavily on the bed and put my face in my hands. _Seven days. _Seven_ days._ I hadn't seen Obi-Wan in _seven_ long, anguish-filled, tortuous days.

Well, actually, I had _seen_ him – he was a public figure, after all.

But . . . But normally we had private times together too, times when we were just Obi-Wan and Anali, not Master Kenobi and Lady Anali speaking formally in front of everyone in polite, indifferent, public conversations.

But ever since he'd stormed away, I hadn't seen or spoken to him at all.

I collapsed on the bed completely, feeling tears fill my eyes. I did want Obi-Wan to think about what he was doing before he threw it all away for me, even though I was touched by his gesture. I desperately wanted to accept, but . . . but being a Jedi was who, was what Obi-Wan was. It had made him into the man I loved. If he stopped . . . well, I wasn't sure I'd know him anymore.

I wasn't one who usually wallowed in self-pity, but . . . but tonight I was making an exception. I wasn't sure how long I stayed like that, lying on the bed curled up, crying.

Suddenly, the bedside dipped and a hand landed on my shoulder. "Anali?"

Startled, I immediately stopped, sat up, and shifted away in surprise. Only a few people knew my real name, but none of them would actually have touched me like that and none knew that anything was wrong, so . . .

It was only afterwards, when my self-control kicked back in, that I recognized the warm, gentle voice and its clipped Coruscanti accent.

"Obi-Wan." I hurriedly tried to dry my tears. "Master Kenobi, I – "

He lifted a hand and brushed his fingers against my cheeks, smoothing away the remaining tears. The movement surprised me into silence again. It was unlike him to be so forward and intimate, even with those he knew very well.

His hand fell to rest upon mine with a comforting, warm weight. I looked straight into his swirling blue-green eyes, watching and waiting. Thankfully, they were back to their normal dancing, brilliant color.

But there was something else in them as well, something new. Understanding. Acceptance.

I sighed and gave him a tired smile. So. He hadn't left me. He had thought about it and calmed down. He . . . still loved me.

He returned it and opened his arms to hug me tightly against him.

I snuggled deeper into his hold, resting my cheek on his shoulder. This time, it was relaxed and affectionate, not the tight, desperate hold of before. And it was just as comfortable and secure and loving as before.

"I missed you," I whispered.

"And I you. . ." He took a deep breath. "I know what you were saying, and I'm sorry. I just . . . I wasn't thinking straight. You were right."

I smiled. "I always am, Obi-Wan."

He laughed softly and kissed my hair. "So you think, my love, so you think."

"Always have to ruin my fun, don't you?"

He stroked my hair. "What would expect?" he murmured.

"Stuffy Jedi," I teased, pulling back to meet his eyes.

He caressed my cheek gently in response, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I won't leave the Jedi . . . but nor will I leave you. That's my decision." His hand faltered then, and I knew he was worried about what I would say.

I kissed him lightly on the lips and he started.

I laughed. "What, I finally surprised a Jedi? How amazing. I should record this moment down – I finally surprised Jedi Master Obi-Wan – "

He shoved me lightly. "Anali!" he exclaimed, laughing.

I smiled. "_Now_ you're back to your regular self."

He stood and pulled me up with him, and we kissed again. I wrapped my arms around him as his arms pulled me against him, pressing me against his chest. I almost melted against him, relishing in the feel of his arms around me and his lips against mine.

And then Obi-Wan pulled back abruptly. "There's one more thing that would make this night perfect. . ." he murmured softly, his breath warm against my face.

I read the question in his eyes, and rolled my eyes at him as I leaned against him.

"I'm not made of glass, Obi-Wan, and I'm not a damsel in distress," I told him severely. I let my fingers unfasten the clasp for his belt, making him start as it dropped to the floor. I let my eyes challenge him as I stepped away.

If he wanted me, he'd have to come and get me.

"Go ahead. Prove you're more than a Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi. I dare you."

For a second he stood there, as if he was too stunned to move or just trying to decide exactly what to do.

Then a grin flashed across his face and his outline suddenly blurred as he demonstrated to me just how quickly Jedi could move when they really wanted to.

I yelped in surprise when his arms closed around me from behind, crushing me against the full length of his body. I hadn't expected him to do that. I had thought he would ignore my challenge and ask me to wait, actually, saying he wasn't worth it or that it'd be better to wait until he straightened everything out with the Council.

But it had appeared that he was just as much done waiting as I was.

"You might regret that challenge, Anali," he murmured in my ear, his voice breathless.

I deliberately arched against him, making him hiss involuntarily as our bodies rubbed together. "Oh, I don't think so," I fired back.

I slipped out of Obi-Wan's loose embrace and smiled at him. He was sleeping peacefully for the first time in my memory, his mouth slightly open, his hair falling slightly over his face, his face relaxed and open. He looked _years_ younger in sleep, as if all the weight of his duties were lifted off of him when he slept.

It didn't really bother me, though. I loved him and he loved me and that was the end of it.

Now, his Jedi clothes, on the other hand. . . They really bugged me.

I mean, usually I'd always heard Obi-Wan saying that Jedi dressed simply and lived simply and that politicians wore annoyingly fancy and elaborate clothes.

That begged the question – why so many layers?

His fingers, nimble and sure, had easily pulled away the nightgown I'd been wearing.

But his tunic was really just ridiculous. So much for "dressing simply". More like "dress in simple colors but in a thousand layers".

I slipped out of bed and reached for a dressing gown. The apartment was empty except for me and Obi-Wan, but I didn't fancy getting captured on a security camera outside my bedroom stark naked.

I was just about to reenter my bedroom from the refresher when I heard a strange rustling sound. Then I saw that Obi-Wan was thrashing wildly in the bed, his hands clenched into fists and his face twisted into a mask of pain. Sweat made his bare chest gleam in the faint moonlight.

_He's having a nightmare._

I ran to his side and grabbed his arms.

"Obi-Wan!" I exclaimed, trying to wake him up. "Obi-Wan, wake up!"

His eyes suddenly flashed open, and one of his hands seized my arm in a painful and powerful grip. His eyes were wild and unfocused, as if he wasn't all here – as if some part of him was remembering something terrible . . . or perhaps, seeing something terrible in the future.

"Get away from me, you Sith!" he hissed, his tone suddenly fierce and dark. "Leave me alone!"

His grip tightened crushingly, and I gasped. He was a great deal stronger than me and he had the Force to help, but he had never used that against me. Only now was I seeing the true power he could bring to bear against an enemy.

The only problem?

I wasn't an enemy.

"Obi-Wan, stop!" I gasped as his grip only tightened more. "You're hurting me!"

That seemed to wake him up. His hand sprang open as though with my words I had burned him. He blinked at me with an almost innocent confusion.

"Anali," he said, sitting up with surprise in his tone. "Anali, what – "

And then he saw the rapidly darkening bruise on my arm.

His eyes darkened and he tensed. Throwing back the covers, he got out of bed and grabbed his pants. "That's it," he announced, lacing on his pants.

I stared. "What – What's wrong?"

He whirled around. "Don't you get it? I just – I can't believe – I just _hurt_ you! I – I – " He trailed off, collapsing in a chair with his face in his hands with jerky movements quite unlike his normal fluid grace.

I moved over slowly, sitting beside him and slowly prying his hands away. "What's wrong?" I asked gently. "You just had a nightmare. There's nothing wrong about that."

He looked at me as if seeing me for the first time. I saw a tear fall from his eyes as he touched my cheek gently. "You're so young, Anali," he said, his tone wistful. "So beautiful. Young and whole and beautiful."

He laughed harshly, dropping his hand. "I don't know why you want me. I'm just an old, broken man. I'm dangerous. I – I can't give you anything."

I stared at him. "What are you talking about, Obi-Wan? Why are you saying this?"

He looked at me sadly as a bitter smile twisted his lips. "I thought . . . I thought I could be with you. For a time. But . . . But I am a Jedi. I am broken by war. It . . . It's safer . . . for you . . . if you don't have me."

"What?" I exclaimed. I grabbed his hand, tugging him back in his seat when he made to rise.

"What if I don't care?" I demanded, trying to look him in the eye.

He evaded me. "You should," he said in a flat voice. "I have nothing to offer you. And you have your whole life ahead of you. Why should you waste it by binding yourself to a Jedi who will never be able to give you anything?"

"Obi-Wan . . . please. Look at me." When he didn't, I sighed and slipped off the chair to kneel in front of him. With a gentle hand, I reached up and turned his face towards me.

"I don't think of it as wasting my life. Some things are certain in my life. If I leave you now, if I let go you, I will regret it forever."

His head shot up and he stared at me with startled blue-green eyes.

I smiled. "Obi-Wan, I can refute everything you say. You say you are old? You're barely a decade older, Obi-Wan; just fourteen years. That's not a big difference in the grand scheme of things. As to being broken by war – Obi-Wan, we've all been changed by this war. Even I have. You're not broken; you're just hurting. We'll heal together."

"I'm still dangerous."

I waved a dismissive hand. "Dangerous to whom? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I say with confidence that the day when you actually want to hurt me on purpose is – "

He nearly jumped out of his chair. "I'd never do that!"

"My point exactly," I said pointedly.

He sagged against the chair with a tired sigh. "You're very stubborn, Anali."

"Yes. Convinced?"

"No, I am not. And I don't think there is any way you could convince me otherwise."

I groaned and yanked him up out of his chair. Normally, I wouldn't have been able to, but he was tired and surprised, so this time I was. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him fiercely, pouring all of my passion into it.

At first he stood frozen, but then slowly his arms wrapped around me in turn and hesitantly he returned the kiss.

"_This_ is my reason," I breathed softly when we pulled apart for air. "Because right now, it's just us. Just you and me. Forget about the Jedi, about the Senate, about the war. It's just us . . . and our love."

Slowly, the old sparkle started gleaming in his blue-green eyes again, and suddenly he smiled. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently.

"Well . . . I guess you win," he said softly.

I grinned and when we kissed again, it was both of our passion and love for the other coming together.

When we returned to bed, there were no more nightmares for the rest of the night.

And the next day, he answered my question about the Council's decision on allowing attachment or not by proposing to me.

In public.

Now the question becomes – how long will it take me to forgive him for that?

**_The End_**


End file.
